A Single Rose
by ChokolateKiss
Summary: This begins after the Founder's Day events. Stefan is spiraling out of control and Elena starts to feel a stronger pull towards Damon. It starts as Stefan&Elena but will eventually lead to Damon & Elena. Reviews are always welcome :
1. Chapter 1

**My story picks up after the Founder's Day events with my own version of what could happen. I'm also changing how the Salvatore brothers first transformed into vampires, but this will be revealed later on. It will begin as Stefan & Elena but will lead to Damon & Elena. Reviews are always welcome :)**

**Chapter One**

Opening her eyes, Elena welcomed the warm sunlight shining through her window as it covered her body like a blanket. Stretching in her bed, she pulled back the covers before rising to her feet. The moment she glanced at her mirror, she remembered what had happened two nights ago. She was kissing her boyfriend Stefan and when things began growing more passionate, his face had twisted in a way she had never seen before. He had leapt away in fear of hurting her and had run out of her bedroom without another word.

Walking to her window, she gazed out at the peaceful morning before sighing. Her parents had died last year and she and her younger brother Jeremy had moved in with their aunt Jenna. If anyone would have told her six months ago that vampires existed and she would be dating one, Elena would have booked that person a session with a psychiatrist. But the truth was that vampires _did_ exist and she _was_ dating one of them.

Thinking back, she realized how much simpler life had been before the Salvatore brothers had entered her life. But as she made this realization, a small smile covered her lips as she couldn't imagine how her life would have been without them.

_Stefan_, her mind sang his name.

He was the younger of the two brothers and the one who owned her heart. When she had first laid eyes on him, she could sense his sadness from miles away. Aside from having good looks, the sadness she saw in him was something that mirrored her own and she instantly felt drawn towards him. It didn't take long before they fell in love and he eventually revealed to her that secret that most of the world remained oblivious to: the existence of vampires.

She had been afraid at first, but her fears drifted away every time Stefan kissed her. Like his brother, he was one hundred and forty-five years old but _unlike_ his brother, he only drank the blood of animals. Stefan felt the only way he would receive salvation was to make amends for any wrong deeds he had done at the beginning of his birth as a vampire. He refused human blood and tried his hardest to live a moral life, again _unlike_ his brother.

_Damon_, she said with a shake of her head.

Damon was the eldest of the two Salvatore brothers and had been transformed at the same time as Stefan. The significant difference between them was that Damon gave into his wants and desires as a vampire while Stefan tried his hardest to shy away from them. He was everything a vampire was supposed to be and much more. He had incredibly good looks and could charm anything remotely female, but in Elena's own words weeks ago, he was a 'self-serving psychopath with no redeemable qualities'. He was dangerous and cunning and looked out for no one but himself.

But as time went by, Elena found herself developing an unusual friendship with him. His every word oozed with sarcasm and he drank human blood whenever he wanted, but something in his eyes made Elena feel differently. Stefan had given her a vervain necklace months ago to protect her from being compelled by Damon or any other vampire, but as the weeks passed, she started trusting Damon despite everyone's warnings. When Damon wasn't bored by or uninterested in her miniscule human problems, he allowed parts of his humanity to slip through the cracks for Elena to see.

As her relationship with Stefan continued and her unusual friendship with Damon grew, Elena discovered another secret that rocked her to her very core: she was adopted and her birth mother was killed by Damon. Any and all feelings of closeness that she had felt for him disappeared by that revelation. He had eventually explained that her birth mother, Isobel, had asked Damon to transform her into a vampire and he had granted her wish. He had even stayed with her for a few weeks before growing bored and leaving her to fend for herself.

Standing at the window, the clutter of thoughts she had were jumbled in her mind. Whenever she wrote in her diary, her thoughts came out in a proper order but her mind was a different story. Thinking back, she remembered the day Stefan explained to her how he and Damon had been transformed. As humans, both brothers had fallen in love with a beautiful woman named Katherine who was completely identical to Elena in her physical appearance. Both loved her and both refused to share her. She had given them her blood to drink and they did so without protest. When the town became aware of the existence of vampires, the townspeople went on a rampage and collected each and every one. Thinking that their beloved Katherine had been killed, the brothers dueled and eventually killed one another. Due to Katherine's blood flowing through their veins, they awoke hours later as vampires.

Damon loved Katherine more, that much Elena was certain of. When he finally managed to open the tomb in the heart of Mystic Falls, he was torn to see that Katherine was missing. Standing there in the middle of the forest, seeing Damon completely heartbroken, Elena had begun to feel for him again. With Stefan watching in the background, she had pulled him into a tight embrace and was saddened when his arms remained limp at his sides. He had eventually pulled away and drowned himself in alcohol for the next week. Things changed when Elena revealed that he had killed her mother. Despite his explanation of the truth, she kept her distance from him, unsure if she could ever trust him again. When Stefan was kidnapped by the vampires who had escaped from the tomb, she went to Damon for help and he wordlessly agreed. They managed to save Stefan in time, but not before he drank blood from Elena's wrist to regain his strength. That's when everything went wrong.

Two nights ago, unable to control his newfound thirst for blood, Stefan had frightened Elena before disappearing into the night. She was incredibly worried for him even though he swore that everything was fine. At the Founder's Day Event last night, Stefan began acting differently and she was forced to ask Damon for help once more.

What surprised Elena was that the moment which stood out to her most from last night didn't involve Stefan. The memorable moment didn't involve Stefan acting differently, Stefan almost breaking a man's hand or even their declaration of love for one another in her bedroom at the end of the night. No, the memory she kept replaying in her mind was when she had sat next to Damon at the bar and he had revealed that Jeremy was asking the Sheriff about Vicky's death. She pled with him to let her handle Jeremy on her own and as he was about to leave, he removed a single red rose from a bouquet on his left and offered it to her.

Groaning loudly at the thought, Elena ran a hand through her smooth hair. In the midst of everything happening with Stefan and the continuous danger around them, why did she only remember the rose Damon had given her? Why did she lay awake all night remembering the softness in Damon's eyes rather than the sudden change in Stefan's behavior? One hundred and forty-five years ago, the Salvatore brothers were caught in a love triangle with Katherine. Flash-forward to the present and Elena realized that her situation was starting to feel the same.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

Wearing a black denim jacket, Elena tied her hair in a loose ponytail before grabbing her bag. As she was about to leave her bedroom, her eyes caught hold of something on the nightstand. Walking towards it, she leaned down and picked up the single red rose Damon had given her. Lifting it to her face, she inhaled the scent and gazed at it for a moment before placing it back down. She had brought it home with her last night and couldn't bring herself to throw it away. Shaking her head from such thoughts, she walked out of her room and made her way downstairs.

After twenty minutes, Jenna dropped them off at school and Elena wandered into the courtyard. With ten minutes remaining before the start of class, she glanced around herself in search of Stefan. Finally spotting him making his way down the path, she ran to catch up with him.

"Stefan!" she exclaimed as he turned to face her.

With a bright smile on his face, he leaned forward and kissed her.

"I've been looking for you," he said, the smile refusing to leave.

"Here I am," she said, smiling back. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine," he said easily.

"Are you sure?" she asked tentatively.

"Look, I know the past few days have been difficult, but I managed to get everything under control," he said and kissed her again. "I'm fine."

"Okay," she said, unsure whether or not she believed him.

"Come on, let's go to class," he said, draping his arm over her shoulders and leading her towards the main door.

"You're in a good mood," she commented.

"Seeing you always puts me in a good mood," he replied before taking her hand and ushering her towards their seats in Mr. Saltzman's history class.

As Elena took her seat, her eyes caught hold of Alaric Saltzman and they shared a look before the teacher glanced at Stefan. Looking down at her hands, Elena felt an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach.

When the morning announcements were over, Alaric began asking a series of questions from their previous lesson. Stefan excitedly answered every question as Elena watched him worriedly.

Once the grueling hour was over, Stefan gave her a quick kiss before rushing out of class. Waiting until all of the other students had piled out, Elena rose to her feet knowing Alaric wanted to speak.

"What's going on with Stefan?" he asked the moment she reached his desk.

"What do you mean?" she said quietly.

"Elena, anyone can see the changes in him," he replied, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"He's been having a hard time ever since we rescued him," she explained before looking down. "I gave him some of my blood so he could heal."

Sighing, Alaric shook his head. "Is he still drinking human blood?"

"No!" she quickly replied.

"There's been a string of robberies at the blood bank this past week," Alaric explained, raising one of his brows quizzically.

"It's _not_ Stefan," she argued firmly. "He's been struggling, but he wouldn't do that."

"What does _Damon_ think of the new and improved Stefan?"

"I think he welcomes it," she said and sighed. "I don't know, I'll talk to him later."

As she turned around to leave, Alaric's voice stopped her.

"Be careful, Elena," he said as she faced him. "If Stefan is feeding on human blood, something he hasn't done in a very long time, he won't be safe to be around."

She held his gaze for a moment before looking away and leaving the classroom.

With Stefan disappearing at noon, Elena's worry merely grew as she sat with Caroline in the lunchroom.

"Elena?" Caroline repeated, capturing her friend's attention.

"Sorry, what?" she asked, looking up.

"I was talking about the Miss Mystic Falls Pageant coming up," she said as Elena forced a smile on her face. "You know, the one both of us are contestants in? You're going with Stefan, right?"

"I completely forgot about that," she replied.

Seeing the look in Caroline's eyes, she smiled again.

"But yeah, I'm definitely going with Stefan."

"Great, I was thinking we could go shopping for dresses tomorrow," Caroline offered. "You know, with Bonnie gone, it just feels like we don't spend enough time together."

"Yeah, that sounds good," Elena agreed, trying to sound as enthusiastic as she could.

Looking across the cafeteria, her eyes suddenly froze.

"Bonnie?" she whispered in surprise, rising to her feet.

Looking in the same direction, Caroline jumped to her feet and quickly embraced their friend.

"Bonnie, I've missed you so much," she exclaimed as the other girl smiled tentatively.

"Hi Bonnie," Elena said happily.

Pulling her into a squeeze, she was surprised when Bonnie didn't hug back.

"How have you been?" Elena asked, moving away.

Before she could answer, the bell rang and Caroline quickly gathered her things.

"I'm going to be late for English," she said and hugged Bonnie once more. "I'll see you after school."

As they watched her rush off, the two remaining girls turned to face one another.

"Bonnie, I'm so sorry about everything. How is your family doing?"

"It's been hard," she replied, an edge to her voice. "I just came to let the school know I'll be coming back tomorrow. I should go."

"Bonnie, wait!" Elena exclaimed, pulling her friend's arm so they were facing one another again. "I'm so sorry for what happened."

"You don't need to apologize," she began. "I don't blame you. I blame _them_."

Realizing who she meant, Elena looked down.

"If it wasn't for Stefan and Damon, my grandmother would be alive right now," she exclaimed, tears forming in her eyes. "I'm sorry but as long as you're around them, I can't be around _you_."

With that, she turned and ran out of the cafeteria as Elena watched her go helplessly.

The rest of the day passed by slowly and once the final bell rang, Elena rushed into the parking lot to catch Stefan before he left. Just as she neared his car, Stefan reversed onto the road and blazed away from the school. Unsure of what to make of his behavior, she followed Jeremy towards a waiting Jenna. As her aunt pulled out of the lot, Elena turned towards her with a sigh.

"Can you drop me off at the Salvatore's, actually?"

"Why?" Jenna asked, keeping her eyes focused on the road.

"I just need to talk to him about something," she said, the worry in her voice showing.

Nodding, Jenna changed lanes and pulled to a stop in front of the Salvatore mansion after ten minutes. Getting out of the car, Elena waved at her brother and aunt before making her way towards the door. Taking a deep breath, she raised her hand to knock when the door flew open.

"Damon."

"What can I do for you, Elena?" the eldest Salvatore brother said with his signature smirk. "As always, I'm a barrel of favors."

"I need to talk to you," she said and walked past him into the house.

"Let me guess, it's about my dear annoying brother?" Damon asked, the boredom he was already feeling evident as he followed her into the parlor. "Just what has St. Stefan done to deserve that annoyingly cute look you get when you're anxious?"

"Be serious," she said and sat down on the arm chair as he stood across from her, glass in hand. "I'm really worried about him."

"Why, is the squirrel population suddenly extinct?"

"Damon, he hasn't been the same since I gave him some of my blood that night," she explained.

"Mmm, and let me guess, you confronted him?" he asked and took a sip from his drink.

"Yes, and he said he was fine," she replied. "But there was something different about him today, like something was off. I know he's been struggling but how long is it going to take before he's…Stefan again?"

"A few days, give or take," he replied with a shrug, taking another sip.

Looking at him pointedly, she crossed her arms at her chest.

"It's _been_ a few days."

"Look, the Stefan you know, the 'highly moral, never drinks from humans, annoyingly obsessed with denying what he really is' _Stefan_ hasn't had human blood for over a century," he explained. "Suddenly having it is making him just a _little_ crazy. All he has to do is learn to control himself and he'll be fine."

"And how long is it going to take for him to…control himself?"

"A few days, give or take," he repeated. "Didn't I already cover this?"

Sensing that she was still unconvinced, he rolled his eyes and sighed.

"Don't worry, Elena. St. Stefan will be back to his brooding and tortured self in no time," he assured before waving at the door. "Now if you don't mind, I have business I need to attend to. There's the door."

Surprised by his blunt rudeness, she rose to her feet and scoffed. As she made her way to the door, he followed her and reached forward just in time to open it for her.

"You know what I can't quite figure out?" she asked, turning around to face him.

"Do tell," he said, his boredom returning.

"You," she exclaimed. "One minute you're the complete embodiment of evil, the next minute you act as if you actually care and then you're down-right rude."

The smile instantly returned to his face as he closed the distance between them. He stared into her eyes for a long moment and she took in a sharp breath, unable to look away. Slowly reaching for the vervain necklace around her collar, she sighed in relief when she felt the cold chain, her move making his smile widen.

"You kept the rose."

"What?" she asked with a frown, visibly flustered.

"The rose I gave you last night, you kept it."

"How do you know that?" she asked before realization dawned upon her and she put distance between them. "What were you doing in my bedroom? Pervert, much?"

Chuckling lightly, he cocked his head to the side and continued to smile at her.

"Interesting," was all he said before walking back into the house and shutting the door in her face.

Releasing the breath she didn't know she'd been holding, Elena collected herself before pushing on the closed door.

"Jerk," she muttered and began making her way down the path, oblivious to Damon watching her from behind the thick curtains of the room.


	3. Chapter 3

**Rory Ace Huntzberger****: the dancing scene was definitely one of my favorite of the series so far. I'm going to add it in, hopefully in the next chapter or so :)**

**Chapter Three**

Peeling his eyes away from her departing figure, Damon placed his empty glass on the table before making his way through the house. Heading downstairs to the cellar, he stopped when his suspicions were proven true. Standing a few feet away from him, sucking every drop of blood from the stolen pouches was Stefan.

"My, my, my little brother," Damon made his presence known.

Looking up with the blood smeared around his lips, Stefan had a mixture of horror and shame in his eyes.

"Your girlfriend was just here, worried that you'd gone off the deep end," he said with a grin. "Guess she was right."

"I…," Stefan began before dropping the empty pouch and wiping his mouth. "I have it under control."

"Clearly," Damon replied, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"I thought you'd be happy for me," Stefan exclaimed, trying to regain his composure. "Haven't you been ridiculing me for not drinking human blood all these years?"

"True," Damon said before losing his smile. "But you chose a terrible time to rediscover your inner vampire. Your little visits to the blood bank haven't gone unnoticed, little brother."

"I have it under control. It won't happen again," Stefan vowed.

"Sure thing."

"I'm fine," Stefan repeated, his agitation rising.

"Of course you are. You may want to clean the excess blood from your face before lying to your girlfriend again though," Damon replied.

Turning around, he came to leave the room when Stefan's voice stopped him.

"I said I have it under control."

"Believe what you want," Damon said before narrowing his gaze. "Just try not to inconvenience me."

With that, he walked out of the room as Stefan released a shaky breath and stared at the dozens of pouches in front of him. Once he reached the ground floor, Damon heard another knock and opened the door in frustration.

"We need to talk," Alaric said as he walked inside.

"The highlight of my day: a visit from _you_," Damon said with a roll of his eyes.

"How is your brother doing?"

"He's fine," Damon replied easily.

"I know he says so that but I'm asking _you_," Alaric corrected.

Shrugging his shoulders, Damon moved towards the bar and poured himself a glass of bourbon.

"Is there another reason to your visit or did you come for the sole purpose of annoying me?" he asked, taking a sip from his drink as Alaric moved to stand beside him.

"I thought you'd like to know that John Gilbert is looking for something," he explained.

"Aren't we all?" Damon said with fake enthusiasm.

"Well, what he's looking for is a device," Alaric continued. "One that was created by the original Jonathan Gilbert and can pinpoint the location of any and every vampire."

The latter part of his statement captured Damon's interest and he turned towards the man with a smile.

"_Any_ vampire?"

"Yes, which includes you and your brother," Alaric reminded him. "I figured you'd want the heads up. Whatever reason he wants it for obviously can't be a good one."

"Diabolical plans…my specialty," Damon said with a smirk. "Why are you telling me this?"

"Isobel," Alaric replied before walking to the door. "And you may want to take your brother's situation more seriously because if he continues to behave as uncontrollably as he's been, then the town won't need the device."

Walking out of the house, Alaric left Damon alone to his thoughts. After standing in the same spot for several minutes, Damon turned to see Stefan watching him in silence.

"Well, you've got the whole creep factor down," Damon commented before finishing his bourbon. "Do me a favor and contain your craziness until I come back."

As a wordless Stefan watched, Damon walked out of the house with a frustrated expression on his face. The moment he was gone, Stefan brought his hand forward from behind his back to reveal one of the pouches. Holding it in front of his face, he stared at it with a conflicted look in his eyes before lifting it to his mouth.

Sitting on the center of her bed, Elena stared at the open books in front of her before pushing them away. Dropping backwards on her mattress, she stared up at her ceiling before her face turned to the side and her eyes focused on the rose. Gazing at it for a full minute, she shook herself out of her daze and rose to her feet. Grabbing her purse and jacket, she walked out of her room and out of the house.

Within half an hour, she was standing outside the Salvatore mansion, staring at the door she had walked away from hours ago. Taking a deep breath, she twisted the knob and stepped inside.

"Stefan?" she called out, her voice quiet and guarded.

When she received no response, she closed the door and walked further into the room.

"Stefan?" she called again.

Silence surrounded her as she tentatively made her way upstairs. Turning left at the top of the stairs, she began heading towards Stefan's bedroom at the end of the hall. Seeing the door open, she stepped through the frame and stopped when she saw Stefan standing near his bed, his back towards her.

"Stefan," she said with an uneasy smile.

His head rose by her voice and he slowly turned around to face her.

"How are you feeling?" she asked.

Walking towards her, he offered her a smile that never reached his eyes.

"I told you, I'm fine," he replied before leaning in to kiss her.

What Elena thought would be a quick kiss suddenly grew more intense.

"Stefan, wait…," she breathed, pulling away from him.

"I miss you, Elena," he whispered. "I _need_ you."

"Maybe we shouldn't," she came to say but he cut her off with another kiss.

Pushing her backwards towards his bed, he laid her down before climbing over her body. As his lips traveled from her lips down to her neck, Elena felt her pulse beating rapidly out of fear rather than passion.

"Stefan," she said and tried to push him off, but he forcefully pinned her against the mattress. "Stefan, you're hurting me!"

Raising his head, he stared down at her and what she saw frightened her more than it had two nights ago in her bedroom. His eyes were blood-red and his face had grown distorted.

"It's me, Elena," she cried as his fangs slowly reached their full length. "Stefan, please!"

A moment of recognition flashed through his eyes but instantly disappeared as he lowered his lips towards her neck. Just as she screamed out, two strong arms yanked Stefan off her body and flung him across the room. Scrambling to her feet away from the bed, a scared Elena watched as Damon stood face-to-face with his brother.

"I thought I told you to leave," he spoke to Elena but kept his eyes on the unsteady vampire.

"I told you I was fine," Stefan sneered, his arms by his sides like a predator.

"Yeah and I totally believe you, bloody fangs and all," Damon replied.  
Before Stefan was able to attack, Damon moved out of the way and captured him from behind.

"Grab the vervain!" he shouted as Elena rushed towards the needle Damon had dropped by the door.

Struggling to free himself, Stefan managed to get the upper hand and forcefully pushed his brother against the dresser, the move breaking the furniture in half. Just as he was about to attack again, Elena plunged the needle into his back. His face grew pained as the vervain moved through his veins. Moments later, he fell to the ground unconscious as Damon looked up to see a trembling Elena holding the empty syringe. Walking towards her, he placed his hand on her arm and she slowly looked up at him.

"It's fine now, give me the syringe," he said softly.

Handing the needle to him with shaky hands, she stepped back and watched as Damon lifted his brother's body over his shoulders and carried him out of the room. Reaching the cellar with super-human speed, he lowered Stefan onto the floor of the same cell he had been bolted in months ago. Walking out, he locked the door and tossed his brother a final glance before heading back to the parlor. He stopped when he saw Elena sitting on the sofa, clutching her knees to her chest.

"How are you doing?" he asked, moving to sit in front of her on the coffee table.

"The look in his eyes…," she began, still visibly shaken by the ordeal.

"Elena, what you seem to be forgetting is that Stefan is a vampire. What you just saw is who and what he truly is on the inside," he reminded her as she looked up into his eyes.

"He's nothing like you!" she snapped before she could take it back.

Hurt by her words, he covered the pain in his eyes and quickly rose to his feet.

"Next time I tell you to leave, make sure that you obey," he exclaimed.

"I'm sorry," she apologized, scrambling to her feet with tears in her eyes. "I've never seen him so forceful and angry. Will he be okay?"

"Time will tell," he replied with a shrug. "He's got to work through his demons on his own, no pun intended."

With a quick smirk, he came to leave the parlor when she grabbed his arm.

"Where are you going?"

"To my bedroom," he replied, the smirk glued to his face. "Care to join me?"

"God, can't you be serious for once?" she snapped at him.

Grabbing her arm, he steadied her before staring deep into her eyes.

"Oh I'm dead serious," he expressed. "Do Stefan and yourself a favor and go home. You want to help him? Leave so I can concentrate on helping him rather than worrying about him killing you."

Releasing her arm, he grabbed the side of his waist in pain before moving towards the staircase. As she stood alone in the large room, she slowly found herself following him upstairs. Walking inside his room, she noticed Damon sitting on the edge of his bed without his shirt, dabbing a wet cloth against a large wound on the side of his stomach.

"Are you alright?" she asked, rushing towards him worriedly.

"I'm fine," he replied before releasing a loud groan as he removed a sharp piece of wood from his skin. "It should heal now."

"Here, let me," she said, kneeling down in front of him.

He watched her intently as she pressed the wet cloth against his skin, all thoughts of pain long forgotten.

"Thank you," she whispered, keeping her eyes focused on the wound as it began to heal.

Sensing his silence, she looked up and met his eyes.

"For saving my life."

He simply gazed at her and she lowered the cloth to her knees. A sudden, loud roar from the cellar interrupted the moment and they both looked away.

"Elena," he said, pulling her to her feet and standing himself. "There's nothing more that you can do for him tonight. Go home and try to get some sleep. Let me handle my brother."

Grabbing his shirt, he pushed his arms through the sleeves and walked out of the room as she watched him go. Blinking through her tears, she squeezed the cloth between her fingers before dropping it on the bed and running out of the house.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

Staring at her reflection in the mirror, Elena let out a heavy sigh as she ran her hand through her hair. Hearing a honk coming from outside, she composed herself before heading outside and climbing into Caroline's car, surprised to see Bonnie sitting in the back.

"Hey," she said in confusion.

"Hey," Bonnie replied as Caroline pulled away from the house. "I'm sorry about the other day. My mind was all over the place."

"You have nothing to be sorry for," Elena replied as she took Bonnie's hand in hers.

Smiling gratefully, the other girl nodded before they released hands.

"What did you do yesterday?" Caroline asked, turning to face her friend with a smile.

"Nothing, just stayed indoors mostly," Elena lied, gazing outside her window.

As Caroline continued chattering, Elena half-heartedly listened as her mind wandered back to the previous night. Removing her cell phone, she chose Damon's name before typing a text message while Caroline and Bonnie spoke.

_How is he doing?_

Moments passed before an answer arrived.

_Fine...I'm surprised it took you this long to bother me_

Reading his message, she gave her friends a smile to show she was listening before typing a response.

_Please, Damon...how is he?_

_ He's screaming a lot, it's quite annoying actually. Alaric took over for me a few minutes ago. I had business in town._

_ Are you sure it's a good idea to leave them alone?_ she messaged.

_What's the worst that could happen? Stefan will break out and kill Alaric? That just means there'll be one less person to annoy me._

She read his response in shock before answering.

_Damon!_

_ I'm kidding, Saltzman can take care of himself. Besides, I gave Stefan another dose of vervain so he should be out for the next few hours_.

As she finished reading the last message, Elena looked up to see Caroline parking in front of a boutique.

"Time to shop, ladies," Caroline said with an excited smile as the three girls got out of the car and walked into the store.

While Caroline effortlessly moved through the boutique, Elena stopped at the first dress she saw.

"Are you alright?" Bonnie asked, moving to stand beside her.

"I'm fine," Elena lied.

"I may blame Stefan and Damon for what happened, but I know that they're a part of your life," she explained. "What's wrong?"

Looking down sadly, Elena sighed. "When you were gone, the vampires that escaped from the tomb kidnapped Stefan and they tortured him. Damon, Mr. Saltzman and I managed to rescue him but he was so weak so I gave him some of my blood."

"But you said Stefan doesn't drink human blood," Bonnie said with a frown.

"I know," Elena replied, unable to hide the guilt she was feeling. "It started a frenzy and he can't control it. The robberies this past week at the blood bank have all been Stefan. I went to see him last night, to help him and…"

"What happened?" Bonnie asked worriedly.

"He had me pinned to the bed and he was so close to biting me," she explained, the memory sending a fearful chill down her spine.

"Oh my God," Bonnie exclaimed. "Why didn't you call me?"

"After yesterday, I didn't know if you wanted to talk to me," Elena replied.

"I'm sorry," Bonnie repeated as both girls shared a warm smile.

"Damon pulled him off. He saved me."

Releasing her breath, Elena walked towards a red dress and touched the material.

"Where's Stefan now?" Bonnie asked, walking towards her.

"Damon has him locked up in their cellar," she replied. "He's trying to force the frenzy out of Stefan's system until he can either control himself or revert back to the way he was."

"I'm so sorry," Bonnie said, touching her friend's arm in comfort. "I know it sounds unimportant but the Miss Mystic Falls Pageant is tomorrow. Are you still going?"  
"No," Elena replied before running a hand through her hair. "I don't know. I'm just really worried for him. I think Damon's going to keep him locked up for more than just a day."

"Hey guys," Caroline interrupted them, holding a violet dress against her body. "Don't you think this dress was made for me?"

As Bonnie walked up to her with a laugh, Elena felt a vibration from her phone and flipped it open.

_Pick blue_

Confused by the message, she looked up to see Damon standing outside the shop, his car parked behind Caroline's. Shutting her phone, she glanced back at her occupied friends before going outside to meet him.

"What are you doing here?" she asked quietly.

"I just finished a meeting with the Council," he replied, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his leather jacket. "Looks like Evil Stefan isn't the only one robbing the blood bank clean."

"What do you mean?" she asked with a frown.

"It was hit again last night while dear brother was safely locked away in his cage," Damon said with a smile.

"Do you know who it was?"

"Nope, but I've got an idea," he said and walked back to his car. "You're shopping for that ridiculous pageant tomorrow, right?"

"Yeah," she said quietly.

"You do know that Stefan _probably_ won't be able to accompany you," he reminded her. "You know, murderous desire for your blood and all."

"I know," she said with a sigh. "With everything going on, I don't even want to go."

"Didn't you say it was the last thing you and your mother talked about?"

"You remember that?" she asked in surprise as he offered her his signature smirk. "My mom _did_ want me to compete but with everything going on with Stefan, it just doesn't seem important."

"It was important to your mother and that means it's important to you," he commented.

Again surprised by his caring attitude, she gave him a soft smile.

"It doesn't matter because I won't even have an escort."

"Aren't you Little Miss Popular in this town? Can't you find some other idiot to go with you?" he asked and she shook her head, laughing to herself as the moment they were having disappeared. "You should really go tomorrow because that way you can focus your pretty mind on something other than annoying me with your irritating texts."

She gave him a look and he opened his car door with a smile.

"Pick blue."

"What do you mean?" she asked in confusion as he faced her.

"For a dress, pick blue," he replied. "Trust me, it's your color."

With that, he climbed behind the wheel and drove away as she watched him go. Once his car had disappeared around the bend, she walked back into the boutique and looked around before her eyes landed on a particular dress. Moving towards it, a small smile covered her lips as she stared at the gown.

"Pretty choice," Bonnie's voice came from behind as both girls admired the indigo blue dress.

Once the evening arrived, Elena cautiously made her way to the Salvatore mansion. Despite Damon's warnings, she slid through the door and crept downstairs to the cellar. Peering into the only cell that had been bolted shut, she watched as a sleeping Stefan lied on the ground, his face peaceful and serene. She stood there for several minutes, her heart breaking for the boy she loved. Eventually tearing her eyes away from him, she turned and walked back upstairs. Searching the house, she soon came across the back patio where Damon was sitting on the stairs, holding a glass of bourbon.

"You don't listen very well, do you?" he asked before she moved to sit next to him.

"I was worried," she replied. "How is he?"

"Calmer than before," he said and took a sip. "I'm sorry for yesterday."

Staring at him with a confused frown, he turned to her with a half-smile.

"For what almost happened," he corrected.

Surprised by his words, she watched him in silence as he turned his attention back to the night sky.

"So what color did you choose?" he asked in an effort to lighten the mood.

"Blue," she admitted before leaning the side of her face against his shoulder.

Whatever witty remark he was about to share vanished from his mind the moment their bodies touched. Unsure of what else to do, he lifted the glass to his lips and took another sip as Elena clutched her hands together and shut her eyes, taking comfort from the silence between them.


	5. Chapter 5

**This chapter has some spoilers for episode 19, Miss Mystic Falls. The song I used is "All I Need" by Within Temptation, the same song used during Damon and Elena's dance on the show :)**

**Chapter Five**

Making his way downstairs to the cellar, Damon stopped at the cell door and looked inside. Standing a few feet away from him was Stefan, staring at the door with his face lowered and his eyes pitch black.

"Morning," Damon began with a smile. "How are you feeling today?"

"Let me out," Stefan said, his voice dead calm.

"Why, so you can go find a snack?" Damon said with a slight laugh. "No can do, little brother."

"Elena needs me today," Stefan exclaimed, taking a step closer to the door. "It's the pageant."

"Elena needs 'brooding, tortured Stefan', not 'let me out so I can bleed you dry Stefan'," he said with a smirk.

Quickly pushing his arms through the open bars, Stefan reached for his brother's neck but Damon anticipated the move and stepped back.

"Stefan, the only way you're getting out of that cell is if I let you out," he said as Stefan released a growl. "The only way I'll do that, and I can't believe I'm saying this, is if you behave."

Reaching into the bag he had carried down with him, Damon removed a dead squirrel and threw it in the cell in front of his brother's feet.

"Control your cravings," he said, motioning the dead animal with a flick of his head.

Stefan stared at the creature before lifting his gaze and violently slamming his hands against the door.

"I'm going to kill you!" he screamed, his voice echoing through the house.

"Like I haven't heard that one before," Damon said, rolling his eyes. "Drink it wisely and learn to control yourself. Now if you don't mind, I have a pageant to attend and an uncle to destroy…in my mind, anyway."

With a final smile, Damon turned and walked out of the cellar despite Stefan's screams. Ignoring the echo he heard through the house, he made his way to his bedroom and removed a black suit from his closet. Taking his time, he slipped into the suit with a look of boredom on his face before making his way downstairs. Leaving the house, he climbed into his car and began driving towards the estate where the pageant was being held.

Dressed in casual clothes and standing in the room she had been assigned for the pageant, Elena gazed out of the window with a somber look in her eyes. After what seemed like an eternity, she pulled out of her thoughts and turned around only to jump back in fear.

"God, you scared me!" she exclaimed, breathing a sigh of relief as Damon approached her. "You clean up good."

He gave her his signature smirk and she quickly cleared her throat.

"How's Stefan?"

"Remember how I told you last night that he was calm?" he began and she nodded. "This morning, not so much."

"What if he can't control it? What are we going to do?" she asked worriedly.

"For now, we wait and hope that he can," he replied. "You do your little pageant while I question your dear uncle."

"Why?" she asked with a frown.

"He's after something, an object, and I'd like to know more about it."

"And Stefan? You just left him there?"

"He's busy bitching and cursing my name in the dungeon and frankly, it's starting to get on my nerves," he replied. "I'll deal with dear brother when I get home."

"You can't possibly hate him as much as you pretend to," Elena declared.

"Oh, but I do," he said in a singing voice.

"Why?" she asked after a minute.

"I have my reasons," he said before walking towards a flower vase on the table by the window.

Snapping a blue orchid from its stem, he closed the distance between them and pinned it in her hair as she watched him in silence. In an effort to hide the smile that was beginning to form, she lowered her gaze just as he pointed to her dress hanging behind the door.

"Blue," he said with a smirk before leaving the room.

Once he made his way downstairs, the door to the room beside Elena's opened and a young red-haired girl stepped out. A smile covered her face as she turned towards another girl who was approaching her from the stairs.

"I can't believe you paid off Elena's suitor to disappear," the other girl said with a laugh.

"Caroline and Misty are hardly a threat and Amber took off. My only competition is Elena and she'll be so humiliated when she realizes she has no escort that the crown will be mine," the red-head replied, a smile of victory on her face.

Exchanging a final glance, she walked back into her room as her friend scurried down the stairs, passing Damon by the bar as she made her way outside. Finishing his drink, Damon searched through the crowd before his eyes landed on Elena's uncle. Stuffing his hands in his pockets, he leisurely made his way to the opposite end of the room and approached John Gilbert with a polite smile.

"So I hear you're looking for something, a device which detects vampires," he began as John faced him and returned the smile.

"You're well informed," he replied before stealing a glance towards Alaric who stood several feet away with Jenna by his side.

"Come on ladies, in your places," the Mayor's wife, in charge of the festivities, exclaimed at the top of the stairs.

One by one, the doors opened and the girls stepped out. Taking a deep breath, Elena made her way down the hall and took her spot at the end of the line, after Caroline.

"Our first contestant is Misty Ranger," Mayor Lockwood began as all eyes landed on the top of the staircase. "Accompanied by Henry Whitmore."

Dressed in a beige dress, the girl began her descent as her escort waited at the bottom of the stairs, ready to lead her outside to the patio.

"And have you found said device?" Damon continued, his voice lowered and his mind concentrated on the man beside him.

"It was stolen by one of the vampires locked in the tomb all those years ago. The same ones that you released," John replied. "I'm actually glad that you approached me, Damon, because you saved me a trip to your house."

"Meaning what exactly?" Damon asked with a frown.

"Meaning that as long as you don't want the council and the town to discover _what_ you really are, then you're going to help me find it," John said with a grin.

"Miss Heather Williams, escorted by Alan Lawrence," the Mayor announced as the red-head began walking down the stairs.

"Good luck," Caroline said, facing Elena with an encouraging smile just as her name was announced.

"You're blackmailing me?" Damon said, his voice sounding incredulous.

"Oh, don't label it so harshly," John replied as Caroline took her escort's arm and followed him outside. "I'd like to think of it as a mutually beneficial partnership."

"And finally, Miss Elena Gilbert," the Mayor introduced as all eyes landed on the top of stairs, including Damon's.

Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, Elena grabbed hold of the railing and slowly began her descent.

"Accompanied by Sean Andrews," the Mayor added.

As Damon watched with a frown, no one moved to collect her at the bottom of the stairs. Just as she was about to reach the ground, Elena realized her escort was missing and looked down in embarrassment. Before he knew what he was doing, Damon slid through the crowd and reached her just in time to take her hand as she stepped off the final stair.

Looking up at him in surprise, she tried her hardest to hide the smile that was beginning to form on her lips. Taking her hand in his, he led her outside onto the patio where the remaining couples stood waiting. Realizing that Damon had stepped in as Elena's escort, the red-head looked away angrily as the crowd stood in a circle around the four couples. Standing face to face, Elena found herself unable to look away from his eyes as the orchestra began to play in the background.

_I'm dying to catch my breath_

_ Oh why don't I ever learn_

_I've lost all my trust though I've surely tried_

_ To turn it around_

"What is she doing with Damon?" Jenna asked in confusion.

"I have no idea," Alaric replied with a shake of his head, genuinely surprised by what he was seeing.

_Can you still see the heart of me?_

_ All my agony fades away_

_ When you hold me in your embrace_

As the dance began, the couples each lifted their left hands and moved in a small circle without touching. Elena's eyes remained locked with Damon's as the music floated through the air.

_Don't tear me down_

_ For all I need_

_ Make my heart a better place_

_ Give me something I can believe_

_ Don't tear me down_

_ You've opened the door now_

_ Don't let it close_

Switching to the right hand, they repeated the same move in the opposite direction before taking a step back.

_I'm here on the edge again_

_ I wish I could let it go_

_ I know that I'm only one step away_

_ From turning around_

Despite the vast crowd watching her every move, Elena felt at ease as she gazed into Damon's eyes.

_Can you still see the heart of me?_

_ All my agony fades away_

_ When you hold me in your embrace_

Moving towards her, he gently pulled her into his arms and held her close against his body as she bit back a gasp. A smile appeared on both their faces and they continued to gaze into one another's eyes as he led her around the other couples.

_Don't tear me down_

_ For all I need_

_ Make my heart a better place_

_ Give me something I can believe_

_ Don't tear it down_

_ What's left of me_

_ Make my heart a better place_

Elena's hand which was resting on Damon's shoulder slowly moved towards the nape of his neck. With her lips slightly parted, she buried her fingers in his hair.

_I've tried many times but nothing was real_

_ Make it fade away_

_ Don't break me down_

_ I want to believe that this is for real_

_ Save me from my fear_

_ Don't tear me down_

Oblivious to the people around them, Elena lost herself in Damon's eyes as they moved effortlessly around the patio, their bodies in perfect sync with one another.

_Don't tear me down_

_ For all I need_

_ Make my heart a better place_

The intensity of his gaze sent a shiver down her spine but she couldn't bring herself to look away. All thoughts of Stefan or the escalating danger perished from her mind and all she could see was the man in front of her.

_Don't tear me down_

_ For all I need_

_ Make my heart a better place_

_ Give me something I can believe_

_ Don't tear me down_

_ What's left of me_

_ Make my heart a better place_

As the music drew to a close, they stopped at their original spot and Damon released her before stepping back.

_Make my heart a better place_

Feeling a sudden chill at the loss of his warmth, she continued to gaze at him amidst the loud applause from the crowd. Taking a sip from his drink, a smile appeared on John's face as he watched them from afar.

"Interesting," was all he said.

As the Mayor began his customary speech, Elena let out a shaky breath and finally looked away. Trying to compose herself, she kept her eyes glued to the ground. Feeling the heat from Damon's continuous gaze, she looked up to see him watching her, his expression unreadable. She was pulled from her thoughts when a surprised Caroline was named the winner of the pageant. Turning to her friend with a happy smile, Elena watched as Caroline accepted her crown and bouquet of flowers. Once the applause had ended, Damon closed the distance between them and she faced him in silence.

"Don't come by tonight," he said, his voice distant and detached. "You'll just make it worse for him."

All she could do was nod and he backed away from her. With her eyes glued on his departing figure, she watched as he made his way through the crowd and disappeared inside the house.

"Lovely spectacle," John exclaimed, his voice causing Damon to stop in his tracks.

"I'm not going to play this game with you," he replied after a brief pause.

"Then you wouldn't mind me going to the council and revealing your little secret to them," John said with a smile.

"Go ahead," Damon said with a shrug.

Taken aback by his attitude, the older man changed his footing. "You're bluffing."

"Actually, I'm not," Damon said, his eyes growing dark. "Because if and when you do, I'll just kill the council. Then I'll sever your hand, rip the ring off your finger and kill you too."

With a final smirk, Damon turned and walked out of the house as John slowly glanced back at Elena.

"Very interesting," he said, a contemplative look in his eyes.

"Elena, what was that all about?" Jenna asked, moving to stand next to her niece.

"What do you mean?" she replied, pretending to be unaware.

"That _dance_," Jenna exclaimed. "You couldn't keep your eyes off one another."

"It was just a harmless dance," Elena said before removing the flower from her hair and handing it to her aunt. "Nothing more."

Clearing her throat, she moved towards the staircase and began heading towards the second floor. Once she was back in her room, she slowly sat down on the edge of the sofa and stared at her reflection in the mirror. Tears suddenly began to form in her eyes as she clasped her hand over her mouth.

"Elena?" Alaric called, stepping through the doorway and stopping when he saw her crying. "What's wrong?"

"My boyfriend's locked up in a cage, going through something that is so hard and painful and I'm here dancing with his brother," she exclaimed before wiping her tears away. "What's wrong with me?"

Walking towards her, he pointed to the vervain locket hanging on the chain around her neck and sighed softly.

"Nothing," he said, reminding her that she hadn't been compelled.

"That just makes it worse," she said and walked towards the window, staring out sadly.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

Walking into her bedroom, Elena tossed the dress on her chair before sitting on the edge of her bed. Releasing a heavy sigh, she looked up and her eyes immediately landed on the rose Damon had given her the other night, one that had begun to wither away. Lifting it from her nightstand, Elena lied back on her bed and pressed the flower to her nose, smiling when she realized the faint aroma was still there. Holding it up, she allowed her mind to wander back to the pageant. She had been surprised when Damon had come to her rescue, saving her from the embarrassment of not having a suitor. Dancing in his arms had somehow felt right and she was even more surprised by how easily she had lost herself in his eyes. Sighing once more, she shook her head in shame before placing the rose back on the nightstand.

"I love Stefan," she said aloud.

For the first time since she had first uttered those words, they seemed different to her ears. The past couple weeks had been emotionally and physically stressful for Elena and after dancing with Damon, she felt more confused than ever before. Reaching into her purse, she removed her cell phone and selected the name of the person she most wanted to speak to. Hesitating briefly, Elena stared at the blank screen for a minute before the words began forming in her mind.

_Where are you?_

Shutting her phone, she clutched it against her chest and slowly closed her eyes, allowing the surrounding silence to calm her nerves. Almost immediately, her phone vibrated and she read through the reply with a smile.

_Can't get enough of me, can you?_ Damon wrote back.

_I'm actually wondering if you checked on Stefan yet. How is he doing?_

She could almost see him rolling his eyes as she wrote her reply but quickly sent the message and turned onto her side.

_ Don't know, not home yet_

Biting her lower lip, her fingers started texting what she really wanted to say.

_Thank you for today. You practically saved me from being humiliated in front of everyone_

_ The look on your face coming down the stairs was priceless...I almost stood back to laugh...almost..._

_ Damon Salvatore: Mr. Sensitive -_ she wrote, knowing that he'd be able to sense her sarcasm.

_Elena Gilbert: Beautiful girl in a blue dress_ - the response came after a minute

She was surprised by his words and a slight blush crept to her cheeks. Her mood suddenly changed and she grew angry at herself for being flirtatious rather than worrying about Stefan.

_I know you told me not to come over today, but I really need to see Stefan. I just want to make sure he's okay_

She waited several minutes and when she was almost positive that he wouldn't answer, her phone vibrated a final time.

_Be my guest_

Shutting his phone, Damon placed it in his jacket pocket and stepped out of his car. Walking down the path towards the front of the house, he stopped when he realized the door was partly ajar. Frowning slightly, he slowly pushed open the door and quietly crept into the house.

"Stefan?" he called out, but received no response.

Making his way towards the end of the room, he stared down the staircase which led to the cellar. Hesitating for a moment, he eventually began descending the stairs. Once he reached the bottom, he walked through the hallway and stopped at the cell he had locked Stefan in. The door was wide open and lying dead on the ground was a young girl with blond hair, a pool of blood streaming out of two puncture wounds in her neck. Just as he was about to approach her, Stefan grabbed him from behind and threw him against the wall.

"Stefan, stop it!" Damon shouted, struggling to maintain his balance after being caught off guard.

Fresh blood was dripping from the sides of Stefan's mouth, leaking onto his white shirt as he stood like a predator. His eyes were red with thirst as a low growl emerged from his throat.

"Stefan, it's me," Damon said calmly. "Your brother."

Stefan cocked his head to the side for a moment but quickly straightened himself and extended his fangs to their full length. Pouncing towards Damon, he grabbed his neck with an incredible force and pinned him against the wall.

"Stop it, dammit!" Damon choked out, trying to free himself from the tight grip.

Finally getting the upper hand, he pushed Stefan against the opposing wall and ran out of the cell with vampire speed. Just as he was about to climb the stairs, two hands pulled him back and pinned him to the wall in the hallway. Before Damon was able to fight back, Stefan's hands released his shoulders and pushed a stake into his lower torso.

"Oh, you did not just do that," Damon growled and flung Stefan away with immense force.

Just as he was about to pull the wooden stake from his body, Stefan surprised him from the side and wedged a second stake into him below the first. Gritting his teeth in pain, Damon fell to his knees just as Stefan wedged the final stake through his lower stomach. Stepping back, Stefan watched his brother fall to the ground, his face twisted in pain as blood began trickling out of his wounds.

Lying on his back on the ground, the pain immobilizing him completely, he looked up to see Stefan raising his foot and slamming it down on one of the stakes. Releasing a scream full of agony which echoed through the house, he pressed the side of his face into the dirt as Stefan watched him in silence. Just as he was about to repeat the move with another stake, his head snapped up and his eyes focused on the stairs.

Closing the door behind her, Elena stepped into the house and waved goodbye to Alaric who had dropped her off. Having changed into a pair of jeans and a simple black cardigan, she dropped her purse on the nearest table before moving to the center of the parlor.

"Damon?" she called out, an uneasy feeling settling in the pit of her stomach.

Lying on the ground, numb from the pain as blood continued to stream from his wounds, Damon looked up at his crazed brother with pleading eyes.

"Stefan…don't," he choked out.

Ignoring his brother's words, Stefan grabbed the handle and slowly began climbing the stairs. Outside, just as Alaric was about to pull away from the Salvatore estate, his eyes caught hold of something in his rear view mirror. Turning the car around and parking near the back, he approached the outside cellar doors. Seeing them wide open, he frowned before slowly making his way inside.

"Damon, where are you?" Elena called out, but again received no response.

Turning around, she screamed in terror when she saw Stefan standing behind her, his eyes red with blood smears all over his face, hands and clothes.

"Stefan?" she said, trying to keep her voice from trembling. "It's me, Elena."

The crazed vampire watched her with a slight frown as she slowly started backing away from him towards the staircase which led to the second floor.

"I came to see you," she said with a scared smile on her face. "I've been so worried about you, Stefan."

His eyes recognized her for a moment but the thirst he was feeling was much stronger and the crazed expression returned to his face.

"Stefan, no!" she exclaimed, holding her hand out to him as he slowly began approaching her. "Stefan, please, it's Elena!"

Realizing that her pleas were useless, she turned and ran as fast as she could up the stairs. Using his vampire speed, he dashed after her and followed her towards the first bathroom. Running inside, she quickly locked the door before backing away to the opposite wall. Stefan began pounding from the other side, causing the wooden door to wobble loose. Looking around herself desperately, Elena jumped onto the bath ledge and removed the shower pole from the wall. Ripping the shower curtain away, she gripped the pole against her body just as the door burst open. The moment Stefan barged inside, she caught him by surprise and hit him as hard as she could, her move sending him to the floor in a daze. Dropping the pole between them, she leapt over his body only to have him grab her leg and bring her face-first to the ground.

Scrambling to her feet, she rushed out of the room and burst into the hallway. Before she was able to run back down the stairs, he rushed outside and quickly blocked her path. Slowly moving away from him, she backed up until her legs hit the wall, telling her that she had no where else to go. Just as he began charging towards her, Damon appeared between them and clashed with his brother in midair before pushing them both over the edge of the railing and down one floor to the ground below.

With fear running through her body, Elena crept towards the staircase and peered down to see Damon lying on his stomach, the fall having knocked him unconscious. Her eyes instantly shot to Stefan and as she watched in horror, he slowly began rising to his feet. Before he had the chance to full regain his strength, Alaric emerged from the hallway and pressed a needle full of vervain into Stefan's back. Once the liquid had been drained, Alaric injected another needle into him, not risking the chance that one wasn't enough. With a pained look on his face, Stefan's eyes slowly closed and he fell backwards onto the ground. Breathing heavily, Alaric looked up to see a frightened Elena crawling down the stairs, her eyes focused on the boy she had loved all these months…the same boy who had almost killed her moments before.

"Elena!" he called and rushed towards her.

Pulling her into his arms, he comforted the shaken girl as tears streamed down her trembling cheeks.

"Was two enough?" she asked, leaning back nervously.

"It's enough, I promise," Alaric replied.

Looking down, Elena's eyes suddenly landed on an unconscious Damon and she rushed towards him with Alaric by her side. As they both kneeled down on the ground, Elena turned Damon's body over and gasped. The three stakes were still wedged in his lower stomach, the wounds leaving a large stain of blood on the ground beneath him.

"Oh my God," she cried out, pulling him onto her lap. "Damon!"

"I'll be right back," Alaric exclaimed as he rushed away down the hall.

Elena fearfully glanced back at an unconscious Stefan before turning her attention to the man in her arms.

"Damon, wake up!" she exclaimed, the tears rolling freely down her cheeks. "Damon, please, you have to wake up!"

Alaric instantly returned with a bowl of hot water and several clean towels just as Damon struggled to focus his gaze.

"Where…is he?" he whispered, looking up into Elena's eyes.

"He's out cold," Alaric replied before grabbing hold of the first stake and facing Elena. "You're going to have to hold him down."

Gently placing his upper body on the ground, she pinned his shoulders against the floor as Damon looked at them through a dizzy stare.

"One, two, three!" Alaric exclaimed before removing the first stake.

Damon let out a loud growl as Alaric pressed one of the towels against the open wound.

"Alright, there's two more," he said before grabbing the second stake and counting down once more.

Elena closed her eyes and listened to Damon's painful cry as Alaric removed the second stake. Pressing another towel against the new wound, he glanced down at Damon who shut his eyes and rolled his head from side to side.

"The third one's wedged pretty deep into his skin," he said and locked eyes with a tearful Elena. "It's really going to hurt so I need you to hold him down as hard as you can."

Nodding through her tears, she pressed Damon's shoulders against the floor as Alaric grabbed hold of the final stake, the one that Stefan had kicked deeper into his brother's flesh.

"Alright," Alaric said and took a deep breath. "One, two, three!"

As he yanked the stake out, Damon released a growl that vibrated throughout the entire house. Rolling his head back, he closed his eyes as Elena pulled him back onto her lap.

"It's going to be okay," she cried, gripping him tightly as Alaric pressed another towel against the final wound.

Before she knew what she was doing, Elena pressed her lips against Damon's forehead, kissing him softly. As Alaric sat back and watched in silence, she leaned her cheek against the top of his head and tightened her hold on his body.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

With tears in her eyes, Elena gazed down at Damon's unconscious face as sadness ran through her heart. He was lying on the sofa in the living room, his wounds far from being healed while his face was serene in a way she had never seen before. Reaching down, she came to gently strike the side of his face but immediately pulled her hand back when Alaric walked into the room.

"He's locked in the cell, properly this time," he assured her. "I gave him enough vervain that he'll be out until the morning."

"And Amber?" she asked quietly.

"She still has a pulse, but it's weak," he replied. "I already put her in my car and I'm going to take her to the hospital. Will you be okay here for a bit?"

Turning back towards Damon, her gaze softened. "I'll be fine."

"Alright, I'll be back as soon as I can, but Elena?" he said as she faced him again. "Stefan won't get out of there again but _if_ by some chance he does, promise me that you'll run."

Her eyes automatically moved back to Damon and Alaric sighed.

"No, Elena," he said firmly. "Promise me that you'll leave Damon and run."

Nodding softly, she looked down as Alaric rushed out of the house, shutting the door behind him. Sitting on the edge of the sofa next to Damon, Elena leaned her forehead against her palm and let out an exhausted sigh.

"I thought he'd never leave," Damon's voice cut through the silence.

Snapping her head up in surprise, a smile covered her lips as she gazed down at him.

"How are you feeling?" she asked worriedly, glancing down at the soiled towels covering his torso.

"Like I've been staked," he said with a groan. "What the hell happened?"

"I don't really know," she replied, still visibly shaken from before. "When I got here, Stefan…he had such a crazy look in his eyes. It's like he didn't even recognize me anymore. He attacked me."

Seeing the sudden alarm on his face, she shook her head.

"No, I'm fine," she assured him. "You saved my life, actually…again."

Tilting his head to the side, he tried his best to remember what had happened.

"You appeared so suddenly and pushed Stefan over the railing and went down with him," she explained, pointing behind her to the staircase. "Alaric injected him with vervain and locked him up again."

Damon moved his hand to his torso but the shooting pain he felt made him jerk it back and look at her in confusion.

"Stefan staked you three times before we got here," she said and looked down.

"And here I thought I was the violent one in the family," he said with a laugh before scrunching his face from the pain. "I didn't know little brother had it in him."

Sensing her hesitation, he looked up at her quizzically.

"What?"

"You almost died, Damon," she exclaimed, her voice beginning to crack.

"Sounds like you're saying I'd be missed," he said with a weak smirk as she shook her head in disbelief and looked away, trying her hardest to hold back her tears. "If Stefan wanted me dead, he would have aimed any one of those stakes a little higher. He missed on purpose, Elena. He wanted me to feel pain."

"Why?" she asked sadly.

"I'm the evil brother, remember? Or I use to be anyway," he said with a slight shrug, the move sending another wave of pain through his body. "I'm sure I've done something to tick him off over the years."

"Damon!" she exclaimed, having no patience for jokes.

Holding her gaze, the smirk on his face disappeared and his eyes darkened.

"Let's just say the last time Stefan went crazy was right around the time he was turned into a vampire," he explained.

"What do you mean by that?" she asked with a frown.

Ignoring her question, he struggled to sit up and she automatically moved to help him.

"He's worse off than I thought," he said and slowly rose to his feet.

"Where are you going?" she demanded, jumping up and grabbing onto his arm to steady him.

"I need to make a phone call," he said before pulling his arm out of her grasp and forcing himself forward towards the telephone on the end table a few feet away.

"Who are you going to call?" she asked as he gripped the edge of the table to steady himself.

"An old friend, Victor," he said, the sharp ache in his torso causing his voice to sound uneven.

"Damon, you're in pain," she exclaimed and came to rush towards him but he held his hand up to keep her away.

"He and his wife are the closest thing we have to family," he explained, looking up to meet her eyes. "They're vampires but they were turned a few years before us. I can't help Stefan like this, not here with the town on alert all the time. They have a remote cabin fifty miles north of here by the river and they're Stefan's best chance at…becoming Stefan again."

Grabbing the receiver, he dialed a number as Elena watched him in silence. When the other end finally answered, Damon began speaking in Italian. All Elena could do was stand frozen in the same spot and watch his mouth move as he spoke softly into the phone. After hanging up the receiver, he turned towards her slowly.

"They'll be here soon," he said and clutched the side of his waist. "Why the hell aren't I healing yet?"

"He pierced you really deep," Elena replied as Damon nodded, remembering.

Steadying himself as best as he could, he began walking towards the staircase as she watched him go. Once he reached the first step, he gripped the railing with one hand. Realizing how difficult it was going to be to climb the stairs, he reluctantly extended his other hand to Elena. She instantly closed the distance between them and draped his arm over her shoulders. Holding his waist from the side, she took on half of his weight before slowly helping him up the stairs. Once they had reached the second floor, he led them down the hall towards his room. Walking inside, they crawled towards the bed before Elena carefully lowered him onto the mattress. Sitting down on his left, she gazed down at him worriedly as the pain on his face grew worse.

"Damon, you need blood to help you heal," she reminded him.

"Stefan already finished his stash and he raided mine," he replied, shutting his eyes tightly. "Unless you plan on driving to the hospital and stealing some contraband for me, I'll have to deal with this the hard way."

"No you don't," she said as he opened his eyes and gazed up at her.

Reading her mind easily, he shook his head. "If you're thinking of offering yourself to me as a snack, you can forget it. Besides, wasn't it your blood that started the whole 'crazy Stefan' phase?"

"You're not him," she said softly.

Sensing the seriousness in her voice, he shook his head again. "No."

"Please Damon?" she pleaded with him. "Do this for me."

"You're absolutely crazy, do you know that?" he said with a short laugh. "One minute you're telling me what an 'evil, self-serving psychopath' I am and the next you're offering me your blood."

"You saved my life," she said simply. "Now let me save yours."

They stared at one another in silence before he shook his head in disbelief and raised her wrist towards his mouth.

"No," she said.

Rising to her feet, she felt the heat of his dark gaze on her body as she walked towards the other side of the bed and lied down beside him. Facing him quietly, she flexed her neck towards him.

"No, I won't do that," he said, realizing what she meant.

Reaching forward bravely, Elena took his hand in hers and squeezed his fingers.

"For me," she whispered and released his hand.

He stared at her in awe before crawling towards her. Leaning up on his elbow, he gazed down at her with softness in his eyes she had only seen once before, when they had danced earlier in the day.

"Are you sure?" he whispered, running a finger down the side of her throat.

His touch sent a shiver through her body but she hid her anxiety and nodded. Tilting his head to the side, he lowered his face to her neck as she lied paralyzed beneath him. Bracing herself for whatever pain she was about to endure, she was surprised when all she felt was a small prickle as he bit into her carotid artery.

The sensation of him taking her blood felt almost euphoric and completely different from when Stefan had bitten her wrist. Slowly shutting her eyes and slightly arching her back, Elena subconsciously moved her head to the side to give him better access. Almost as soon as he had bitten her, Damon removed his lips from her neck and leaned up on his elbow to gaze down at her. As her exhausted eyes fluttered shut and she drifted off to sleep, she could have sworn she felt a gentle kiss over the bite marks on her throat.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

Standing at the window with his hands stuffed in his pockets, Damon stared out at the dark night in silence. Having changed into a maroon shirt with the buttons open, he stared down at the scars on his torso that were beginning to heal. Turning his head, he glanced back at Elena who slept peacefully in his bed. The ringing of the doorbell captured his attention and he quietly began heading downstairs. Opening the door, he saw a young man and woman waiting outside.

"Hey," he said and moved back to allow them entrance.

The female, Sophia, had long auburn hair and a frail figure while the male, Victor, had short blond hair and a large scar on his right cheek.

"Thanks for coming," he said and closed the door before facing them.

"What happened to you?" Sophia asked worriedly, leaning forward to brush her hands across his scars.

"Was it Stefan?" Victor added.

"I'm fine," he assured Sophia. "And yes, it was dear brother."

"What happened, Damon?" Victor repeated.

"Follow me," he said and began leading them downstairs towards the cellar.

Stopping behind the locked cage, he motioned them forward with his hand and the new vampires looked inside.

"Oh Stefan," Sophia said with a sad sigh.

"He tasted human blood again for the first time in over a century," Damon explained, leaning his back against the wall. "In other words, St. Stefan became 'caught up in a murderous rage' Stefan."

"Just like before," Victor commented.

"Last time was different," Damon dismissed the claim.

"No, last time was exactly the same. _Last_ time, he did it out of hate," Sophia reminded him. "What changed?"

Not wanting to respond, Damon quietly unlocked the cage and opened the door for his friends to walk through. Kneeling down beside the fallen vampire, Sophia examined Stefan's eyes before sighing and looking up at the two men.

"He's so far gone," she exclaimed. "But it's now or never, I suppose. Are you sure that's what you really want?"

"He's still my brother, Sophia," Damon replied and she nodded.

Easily lifting him off the ground, she lowered Stefan's body over Victor's shoulders. Carrying him without any difficulty, Victor climbed the stairs and led the others back towards the parlor. Walking outside the front door, they lowered Stefan into the backseat of their vehicle before turning to face Damon.

"Your eyes seem different," Sophia regarded as the smirk appeared on Damon's face.

"He just gave me three beautiful new scars," he said, pointing towards his torso. "Forgive me for being a bit ticked."

"It's more than that," Sophia said with a small smile as he rolled his eyes.

"Either way, as soon as you change him back into his boring, annoying self, I can finally focus on what I have to do," Damon exclaimed.

"And what's that?" Victor asked.

"Find Katherine," he said simply.

"Are you sure that's what you want?" Sophia questioned him.

"Of course it is," Damon said with a frown. "I've been searching for her for over a century. True, I was a little ticked off to find her missing from the tomb, but that doesn't mean I'll stop looking for her."

"If I'm not mistaken, though, that isn't Katherine's blood flowing through your veins," Sophia exclaimed before looking above Damon's head. "And history repeats."

With a final wink, Sophia climbed into the car followed by her husband. Damon stood at the doorway and watched them leave before glancing up to see Elena gazing down at him from his bedroom window. Shaking his head, he walked back into the house and closed the door just as she approached him from the bottom of the stairs.

"Who were they?" she asked, taking a seat on the same sofa he had been laying on hours before.

"Friends," Damon replied, pouring himself a glass of bourbon.

"Did they take Stefan?" Elena asked quietly.

"Yes indeed," he said, his back still towards her.

"Will they be able to…help him?" she asked.

"Time will tell," he said with a shrug before growing quiet.

He let another minute pass before turning around only to find Elena standing directly behind him.

"Nice creeping," he said with a smirk. "You've been hanging around us vampires too long."

Lowering her gaze to his torso, she reached forward with her hands and brushed her fingers across his scars.

"Will these stay?" she asked in a whisper.

Her touch left him uneasy and on edge, but he couldn't bring himself to move away.

"Yeah," he whispered back.

Lifting her face, she looked into his eyes as her fingers lingered against his skin.

"I didn't feel any pain," she said and he nodded.

"Experienced vampire," he replied with another smirk.

"I always thought it would be horrible but you were so gentle," she said, her eyes glistening. "You scare me, Damon."

"I'm not the one who just tried to eat you," he pointed out before smirking again. "Actually, I did, but only because you let me."

"That's not what I meant," she said and subconsciously stepped closer to him.

Feeling uneasy by her closeness, Damon moved away from her and began buttoning his shirt as she turned to watch him.

"You should go home," he said as she took a few steps towards him.

"But I…," she began but he cut her off.

"I've got a lot I need to do," he stated. "I need to clean this place up, go speak with the Sheriff about Amber and there's still that pest of an uncle you have who's working on my last nerve."

Before she was able to respond, a knock came from the door behind him. Pulling it open, he moved aside as Alaric walked in.

"Hey," he said with a sigh of relief when his eyes landed on Elena. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," she said with a nod. "How's Amber?"

"She's alive but unconscious for now," he replied before facing Damon. "What about you?"

"Sorry to say, but I'll live," he said with his signature smirk before touching his scars. "Just so you know, they hurt like a bitch."

"Good," Alaric said with a smile before facing Elena again. "Come on, I'll take you home."

Her eyes moved to Damon and when he looked away from her, she sighed and grabbed her purse. Having caught the look shared between the two, Alaric cleared his throat and walked out the door.

"How's Stefan?" he asked, turning back.

"I had a few friends take him away," Damon replied. "Hopefully they can knock the crazy out of him."

As Elena moved past Damon, she hesitated by his side for a moment before finally walking out and heading to the car. Standing by the driver's door, Alaric noticed Damon watching her before shutting the door with a mixture of anger and confusion on his face. Climbing inside, Alaric pulled away from the Salvatore estate as Elena sat silently by his side. When they were several miles away, she unknowingly leaned her head back against the seat and stared out her window. Glancing over at her, his eyes caught hold of two bite marks on her neck and he instantly pulled the car to a stop by the side of the road.

"What are you doing?" Elena snapped, the sudden move jerking her body backwards.

"Who did that to you?" Alaric demanded, pointing towards her neck. "Which one of them was it?"

"Mr. Saltzman, I'm fine," she tried but he cut her off.

"It was Damon, wasn't it?" he asked. "No wonder his wounds had healed so quickly."

"Alaric," she said, her tone silencing him. "I offered it to him myself."

"I don't believe that. He must have compelled you."

Lifting the vervain necklace for him to see, she shook her head. "It was my choice."

Confused by her actions, he leaned back in his seat and frowned.

"Why would you do that?"

"He saved my life…I wanted to do the same," she answered quietly before brushing her hair in front of her shoulders to cover the marks.

Realizing that she was done talking, Alaric let out a sigh before pulling back onto the street. When he finally reached her house, she quickly slid inside and tentatively waved at her brother and aunt before going inside her bedroom and shutting the door. Sitting on the edge of her bed, her eyes traveled up to her mirror and the pictures she had taped around it. One was of her, Bonnie and Caroline, the second was of her, Jenna and Jeremy while the third was one of her parents. At the very top, taped above the other photos was one of her and Stefan. Walking towards it, she removed the picture and gazed down at it with tearful eyes. Slowly lowering her hand, she placed the photo in her drawer and shut it before moving back to her bed. Not bothering to change her clothes, she crawled under the blanket and pulled it up to her waist. Staring out at the dark night outside, she shut her eyes and cried.

At three in the morning, when all of Mystic Falls was sound asleep, Damon got out of his car and slowly approached the Gilbert house. Using his vampire speed, he rushed into her bedroom through the open window and quietly crept towards her bed. Elena was lying with her head to the side, revealing the faint bite marks from before. As his eyes traveled down, he noticed the withering rose in her hand. Smiling when he realized what it was, he reached down and lightly caressed the side of her face. He had done this several months ago after he had first met her but touching her now felt completely different from then. Seven months ago, he had seen her as Katherine. Looking at her now, all thoughts of Katherine disappeared from his mind.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

_Opening the door to her house, Elena walked inside and immediately felt uneasy._

_ "Jenna?" she called out, but received no response. "Jeremy, are you here?"_

_ Nothing but silence surrounded her as she gripped the railing and began climbing the stairs. Once she reached the second floor, she walked towards her bedroom and stopped when she noticed her window was open. Moving towards it cautiously, she froze when she saw a pair of hands reaching in. Jumping back with a scream, she watched in fear as Stefan crawled through her window and attacked her._

* * *

Sitting up in her bed with a scream, Elena placed her hand over her thumping heart just as Jenna ran into the room.

"Elena, are you alright?" her aunt exclaimed, sitting beside her as she trembled.

"I'm fine," she said, trying to steady her voice.

"No, you're not," Jenna stated worriedly. "You've been having nightmares all yesterday and now tonight."

Glancing at the clock beside her bed, Elena noticed that it was only ten-thirty at night and she let out a sigh.

"Did something happen to you?" Jenna asked before lowering her voice. "Did someone hurt you?"

"No," Elena said, quickly shaking her head. "I promise, I'm fine."

"Do you want me to call Caroline or Bonnie for you?"

"No, it's okay," she said and ran a hand through her hair. "It's just been really stressful these past couple days."

Sighing in frustration, Jenna rose to her feet and walked back to the door. "I'm right down the hall if you need anything."

"Thanks," Elena said with the best smile she could offer.

Walking out and closing the door, Elena waited until her aunt's footsteps had vanished before throwing the covers off her body and walking towards her mirror. Gripping the sides of her dresser, she stared at her reflection and released a shaky breath. Walking back to her nightstand, her eyes caught hold of the rose. Looking away, she grabbed her cell phone and messaged the first person she thought of. Shutting the phone and tossing it aside, she stepped into her ensuite bathroom and closed the door. Turning on the hot water, she peeled the layers of clothing off her body and stepped into the shower. Closing her eyes, she allowed the hot water to take away her fear and pain.

After several minutes, she finished washing up and shut the water off. Stepping out of the tub, she dried her body before wearing her pajama shorts and top. Tying her wet hair in a ponytail, she opened the door and walked out of the bathroom to find Damon sitting on her chair by the window.

"I got your message," he said and Elena suddenly became aware that she was wearing very little clothing.

Draping her towel over the doorknob, she walked to her bed and pulled the covers to her waist. He watched her every move with an intensity that made her cheeks flush.

"Thanks for coming," she said quietly. "Did Jenna…?"

"The window," he replied, shaking his head. "What's wrong?"

"I can't sleep," she said, her eyes focused on her fidgety hands. "I keep having these nightmares…about Stefan."

"Dating a vampire…you had to have known _something _would happen sooner or later, right?" he said with a laugh in an effort to lighten the mood.

When she refused to meet his gaze, he let out a sigh and walked towards her, taking a seat on the edge of her bed.

"You don't have to worry, alright?" he said, feeling slightly uncomfortable. "Victor and Sophia will take care of Stefan and he'll be back to his usual vegetarian self in no time."

"I don't know if I can get past it," she said and finally looked up.

Seeing the hurt in her eyes made him instantly want to reach out and touch her face but he silently fought the urge and instead leaned back.

"Whenever he comes home, if he's Stefan again…," she said before sighing. "I don't think I can go back to the way things were."

"I don't know what you expect me to say," he said as she stared into his dark eyes. "It's no surprise that my brother and I don't get along and that we haven't gotten along for our entire vampire existence. So what do you want me to say? Do you want me to tell you to forget he ever existed and move on or that everything will be fine and you'll forgive him?"

"I don't know," she said quietly.

"I'm not Stefan, Elena. Comforting emotionally unstable girls is _not_ my area of expertise."

"I know," she said with a small smile. "I just thought maybe you could sit here with me for a bit. You don't have to say anything, just stay with me."

When he frowned at her in confusion, she smiled nervously.

"Your presence is soothing."

As they stared into one another's eyes, reality suddenly hit him full force and he jumped to his feet.

"My presence is soothing? What the hell!"

"Damon…," she tried but he held his hand up.

"I'm the evil brother, Elena, _me_," he exclaimed. "I'm the one you're supposed to fear, not the one you ask to sit with you and hold your hand."

"You're not as bad as you pretend to be," she said, trying to hold back her smile as he grew even angrier. "I mean, you can even be nice…sometimes."

"Nice?" he asked in disbelief. "Charming? Yes. Diabolically evil? Of course. Utterly irresistible? Most definitely. But nice? No, I am _not_ nice!"

"Yes, you are," Elena admitted. "To me, anyway…sometimes."

"Momentary lapse of judgment," he said before reaching for the open window.

"Damon, wait!" she exclaimed and her voice pierced through him like a sharp knife, forcing him to stop and face her. "Please don't leave."

Biting her lower lip, she took a deep breath and closed the distance between them.

"When I first met you, you played the role of the 'evil, self-serving psychopath…"

"With no redeemable qualities," he added.

"Yes, with no redeemable qualities perfectly," she said. "But what you've done for me these past couple weeks, at the pageant and then later at your house…I guess what I mean to say is thank you."

"Just don't ever call me nice again," he whined after a minute before moving to sit on her bed again. "You make me sound like one of your stupid stuffed animals."

Moving to sit beside him, she gave him a small smile.

"I swear, I'm going to go on a murderous rampage just to prove you wrong," he said and she shook her head, her smile growing despite his words.

"Will you stay with me?" she asked before climbing under the covers and turning on her side to face him.

"I don't exactly have a choice, do I?" he said with a frustrated sigh before rising to his feet and moving to the other side of the bed. "Might as well make myself at home, wouldn't you agree?"

Without waiting for a response, he removed his leather jacket, tossed it across the room onto her chair and lied down next to her.

"Thank you," she whispered.

"If you tell anyone about this," he warned her, trying to sound as menacing as he could.

Smiling at his words, she nodded and he leaned his face towards the ceiling. They stayed that way in silence for several minutes before Elena finally spoke.

"Why do you hate him?" she suddenly asked as he faced her. "Stefan."

"You mean, besides the obvious?"

"Is it because of Katherine?" she ignored his comment and he sighed, looking away. "Stefan gave me an explanation but with all the recent lies …I'd like to hear your version."

Unsure whether or not he should answer her, he decided to go against his instincts.

"Stefan and I met Katherine at the same time," he began quietly. "And both of us fell in love with her almost immediately. When we discovered what she really was, we didn't react the way normal humans would."

"You weren't afraid?" she asked with a frown.

"No," he said and she could see all hints of sarcasm had dropped from his voice. "I think in a way it intensified our attraction to her."

He paused briefly to look at her, a sudden sadness entering his eyes.

"As humans, Stefan was the good son and the good brother while I…well, I was arrogant and ruthless," he said before laughing. "Basically, everything I am now just minus the pulse and thirst for blood."

Placing her arm under her head, she continued to watch him as he spoke.

"Anyway, Katherine refused to choose and wanted to keep us both," he explained. "One day, Stefan approached her and asked her to turn him. He wanted to love her for eternity and Katherine being Katherine, she agreed."

"Stefan _chose_ to be a vampire?" she asked in surprise.

"Shocking, isn't it? I know," he said with a smirk. "When I found out, I was sort of surprised too. I mean, he had the upper hand. He was immortal like her."

"So you asked Katherine to transform you too?" Elena asked.

Damon grew suddenly silent and his eyes darkened as a certain memory flooded his mind.

"Damon?" she whispered, sensing his hesitation.

"No, I didn't ask her," he replied. "It was my arrogance that forced me to say no to her offer. I guess I wanted to believe that she would still want me, even if I were only human. That way, I would get to be with her and I didn't have to die for it. Win-win, you know?"

"What did Katherine say?"

"She agreed," Damon said with a bitter laugh.

"I don't understand," Elena said, moving to sit up on her bed. "How were you transformed then?"

Sitting up slowly, he leaned his back against the headboard. Looking out past her shoulders at the darkness of the night, his hand subconsciously moved towards his torso. Following his hand with her eyes, realization suddenly dawned upon her and she snapped her head back up towards him.

"Stefan?" she gasped.

"He was angry, to say the least," Damon replied, still refusing to look into her eyes. "He had given up his mortality for Katherine, something I had refused, and she still wanted me as much as she wanted him."

Scratching the nape of his neck, he gave her a crooked smile.

"I never even saw it coming," he explained. "I was heading home through a field and he surprised me from behind and bit into me. He wanted me to share his fate."

"Oh my God," Elena declared, unable to form any other words.

"I awoke hours later…reborn," he finished and finally looked into her eyes. "It was right after that the town discovered the vampires and locked them in the tomb. Stefan and I were newborns so the device they used to locate vampires, the one your dear uncle is looking for now, didn't apply to us yet."

Elena wanted to reach out and take his hand, but she knew he would brush any comfort from her away.

"He instantly regretted what he did, but the deed was already done," he continued. "He's been brooding and tortured all these years because of that night."

Looking into her eyes again, the intensity of his gaze left her breathless like always.

"So to answer your question, Elena…yes, I hate him," he exclaimed.

Her eyes saddened by his words and she couldn't bring herself to look away.

"But it is what it is. The difference between us is he regrets what he did and has tried ever since to redeem himself by only feeding on the blood of animals, I guess you could say. Well, before his recent crazy phase anyway," he said with a shake of his head. "But me? When I awoke, I was just angry. I fed and I killed because I was angry and after a while, my anger became me."

"I'm so sorry Damon," she whispered.

"Why?" he said, the smirk returning to his face. "I'm not some innocent lamb that needs taking care of, Elena, and I'm definitely not the nice and caring person you're making me out to be. I am what I am and above all else, that's a vampire."

"No, I don't believe that," she exclaimed. "These past few weeks, I've seen bits and pieces of your humanity flicker through the darkness that surrounds you. I know what you are, Damon, and I know what you've done. I'm still sorry."

Surprised by the warmth in her eyes and the honesty in her voice, he looked away unsteadily. Using all the courage she had, Elena leaned forward and took his hand in hers. Staring at their intertwined fingers, he showed no signs of protest and she took his silence to mean he wouldn't pull away. Lying on her side once more, she tugged on his arm and he eventually lowered his back onto the bed with his face turned towards her. They stared into one another's eyes in silence with their hands joined between them, neither looking away.


	10. Chapter 10

**Thanks for all the reviews! Very mild spoilers for episode 19, Miss Mystic Falls**

**Chapter Ten**

Opening her eyes, Elena smiled at the warm sunlight shining over her body. Turning to the side, her smile faded when she realized her bed was empty.

Standing by the window with a glass of bourbon in his hand, Damon's head whipped to the side when he heard a faint knocking. Taking a sip from his drink, he slowly walked towards the door and pulled it wide open.

"We come in peace," Anna said with a sarcastic smile.

"May we come in, Damon?" Pearl asked in a calm voice.

With a roll of his eyes, he stepped away from the door and moved to sit on the sofa as they followed him into the room.

"To what do I owe the pleasure?" he asked, taking another sip from his drink.

"I'm sorry about what happened to Stefan…when the others took him," Pearl began. "I'm also sorry that it has taken me this long to speak with you. The truth is, I don't do well with apologies."

"I don't do well with forgiveness," he replied, his eyes completely dark.

"I _am_ sorry, Damon," Pearl repeated before removing a small item from her pocket and handing it to him.

"What's this?" he asked with a frown.

"The device that John Gilbert's looking for, the same one I took all those years ago," she exclaimed and smiled when she saw the interest in his eyes expand.

Glancing down at the compass in his hands, he shook it several times but the needle refused to budge.

"It's broken."

"No, it's just missing a piece," Pearl explained. "A small diamond that attaches to the end of the needle, shaped like a sword."

"And where would that piece be?" Damon asked, a fake smile on his lips.

"I don't know," Pearl replied with a shrug. "Perhaps the tomb?"

Damon thought over his options before turning towards them with a quizzical expression on his face.

"Why are you giving me this?"

"To make amends," Pearl replied. "Besides, whether or not the missing piece is found, I'd much rather the device be in your hands than John Gilbert's."

He contemplated her response before rising to his feet and smirking.

"You just earned yourself a welcome mat," he exclaimed.

Satisfied with his words, Pearl and Anna exchanged a single nod with Damon before leaving. As the door closed and a faint echo sounded through the house, Damon stared at the device in his hand and smiled.

* * *

"Oh my God," Bonnie exclaimed in surprise.

School had ended and she and Elena sat in Elena's bedroom, going over the events of the previous days.

"So Stefan's gone?" Bonnie asked, still not believing what she had heard.

"Yeah," Elena said with a nod. "Damon's friends, some guy and a girl who were vampires too…they came and took him away."

"To help him?"

"Yeah," Elena said and looked down.

"What's wrong?" Bonnie asked, touching her arm.

"He tried to kill me, Bonnie," Elena said, the sadness in her voice apparent. "I mean, I know it wasn't really him, but every time I close my eyes, I see him that way with his face twisted, blood over his face and his eyes so far gone. I don't think I can get past it."

"Look, you know how I feel about the Salvatore brothers," Bonnie began. "I still blame them for what happened and I probably always will. But I'll try to be a good friend and give you the best advice I can, okay?"

Nodding, Elena wrapped her arms around herself.

"You've been through a lot these past few days and you're emotionally and physically spent," Bonnie continued. "I just think you need some time."

"I don't think time's the problem," Elena replied. "I mean, I still love him and I think I always will but I can't go back."

"I'm sorry," Bonnie said, rubbing her shoulder in comfort as Elena smiled her appreciation.

"If Damon and Alaric hadn't been there…," her sentence trailed off.

"I can't believe that either," Bonnie said as Elena looked up at her with a frown. "Alaric, yes, but the fact that _Damon _saved you…I can't believe it."

"He isn't as bad as he seems," Elena argued

"Yeah, Elena, he is," Bonnie said firmly. "Wasn't it you just a few weeks ago who said Damon Salvatore was an 'evil, self-serving psychopath with no redeemable qualities'?"

"Yeah, I know," Elena said with a sigh.

"So what changed?"

"He saved my life, Bonnie, _twice_," Elena replied. "And not for some twisted selfish gain. He did it just to save me, and…"

"And what?" Bonnie asked, sensing her hesitation.

"I've been having nightmares…about Stefan," she began. "Last night, he stayed with me while I slept. I mean, he actually let me hold his hand so I could fall asleep."

"Damon Salvatore?" Bonnie asked skeptically. "Are you sure you've been wearing your vervain necklace?"

"Yes," Elena said, pointing to the chain around her neck. "For the first time in weeks, I slept without any dreams."

"I'm sorry, but am I hearing this correctly?" Bonnie exclaimed. "I mean, are we even talking about the same guy? The one who prances around town feeding on whoever he wants, whenever he wants? The one who would do anything or kill anyone for his precious Katherine?"

"I know, Bonnie," Elena agreed. "I know what he's done and what he's capable of, believe me. I'm just saying that not everything is as black and white as I thought."

"Elena, even his psycho vampire ex-girlfriend wants nothing to do with him, based on the fact that she was never even in the tomb all these years," Bonnie said with a sigh. "She saw him for what he really is. Why can't you?"

"He could have stood back and let me be completely humiliated at the pageant but he took my hand and danced with me instead," Elena said before rising to her feet and facing her friend. "He could have easily let Stefan bite me, but he didn't. He had three stakes wedged into his body but he still found the strength to push Stefan over the railing and save my life."

"Elena…," Bonnie tried.

"Stefan bit him," she suddenly said.

"What? That night?"

"No," Elena replied, her eyes saddening. "One hundred and forty-five years ago."

"But I thought…," Bonnie began, her sentence trailing off.

"Stefan asked Katherine to change him because he wanted to be with her forever and when she asked Damon if he wanted the same, he said no," Elena explained. "He wanted to be with her but he didn't want to lose his humanity in the process."

Bonnie watched her friend in silence, nothing but surprise written over her face.

"When Stefan found out, he was angry and he bit his brother in revenge."

"Damon didn't…?"

"No, he never wanted this," Elena said with a sigh. "Stefan did this to him. He wanted him to share his fate."

Running a hand through her hair, Bonnie rose to her feet.

"Look, as your best friend, I am so grateful that he saved your life," Bonnie exclaimed. "But a few good deeds don't right a lifetime of wickedness."

"I understand what you're saying, Bonnie," Elena said with a small smile. "But I guess I just see him through different eyes than you."

Turning away, she walked towards her window and stared up at the moving clouds in the blue sky above. Bonnie eventually went home and after an uneventful dinner with Jeremy and Jenna, Elena returned to her bedroom to sleep. Tossing and turning all night, she finally gave up at eleven and tossed the covers aside. As her eyes searched through the dark room, they landed on the same rose that was always on her mind. Rising to her feet, she quickly dressed in jeans and a sweater and placed a few other belongings in her purse. Quietly walking out of her room, she scribbled a note for Jenna on the kitchen table and left the house.

Within thirty minutes, she had walked into the Salvatore estate and was climbing the stairs. Turning towards Damon's bedroom, she quietly crept inside and scanned the darkness before her eyes landed on his sleeping form. Moving towards him, she noticed that he was sleeping on his back in the center of his King sized bed. Wearing only black dress pants with his top bare, his face was turned away from her while his right hand lied on his chest. Biting her lower lip, she slowly crawled onto the bed before lying down on her side, facing away from him. Shutting her eyes, she took comfort from the closeness of his body before drifting off to sleep.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven**

Releasing a quiet yawn, Damon opened his eyes to see Elena sleeping beside him. Her back was pressed against his chest while he had his arm draped over her body, holding her tightly. Confused by their position, he glanced around himself and realized that they were in his bedroom, not hers. Not remembering how he came to be in the position he was now waking up in, he slowly moved his arm away from her. Once he was flat on his back, on the other end of the bed, he stared at the rear of her head in surprise. Just before he could form any thoughts, Elena turned her body towards him and opened her eyes.

"Hi," she said quietly.

"Not that I mind waking up next to a beautiful girl," he said, hiding his confusion behind a smirk. "But what the hell are you doing here, Elena?"

"I told you I couldn't sleep," she explained. "You were gone before I woke up yesterday and you didn't reply to my text so I came here. You were already passed out so I just lied here beside you."

"I'm sorry. Let me see if I got this right. You're telling me that you can't sleep because you keep having nightmares of Stefan, my brother the vampire, attacking and eating you, correct?" he said and she nodded. "But yet you have absolutely no nightmares when you're sleeping next to _me_?"

"Yes," she said simply.

"Am I the only one who sees something wrong with this picture?" he said with a frown.

"Look, I can't explain it any better than you can. I just feel safer with you around," she replied. "This is the price you have to pay for saving my life."

"You've really got to stop saying that," he complained.

"Why?"

"Because you're messing with my reputation, that's why!" he snapped.

The seriousness in his voice made Elena laugh, her giggles causing his anger to rise.

"Laugh it up all you want. The second Stefan gets back, I'll be able to rid my hands of you once and for all," he said as her smile faded.

Ignoring his words, her gaze traveled to the skin beneath his eyes and she frowned.

"Under your eyes…it's so dark."

"What part of 'crazy brother raided both his stash and mine' didn't you get?"

"What about the blood bank?"

"The council's on high alert after Amber," he replied with a sigh. "They've got the damn place on twenty-four hour guard."

"What about bordering towns?"

"I would go but some annoying, needy human girl keeps asking for help," he said and faced her. "That's you, by the way."

Suppressing her laugh, Elena tried her hardest to keep a straight face.

"Are you always this grumpy in the mornings?"

"Yes!" he snapped, his tone causing her to laugh again.

Seeing the flashing anger in his eyes, she quickly cleared her throat.

"When was the last time you fed?"

Facing her again, he ran his thumb down Elena's throat, his touch sending a chill through her body.

"That was three days ago," she exclaimed.

"Your talents of deduction astound me," he said in a dull tone.

Thinking for a moment, she suddenly scooted closer towards him as he stared at her in confusion.

"What are you doing?"

"You need your strength," she said, taking his hand and placing it on her neck.

"What? No!" he exclaimed and came to leave the bed but she pulled him back.

"Every day, a new problem arises in town. Today could be one new vampire but tomorrow could be a whole clan. Remember the tomb?" she said and his silence was enough of a response for her. "You need your strength, Damon. I'm offering that to you."

"You confuse me, you know that?" he whispered as he ran his fingers across the previous bite marks. "You're not like any other girl I've ever met."

"Why?" she breathed, suddenly aware that their bodies were touching.

"Some are crazy, others are stupid," he said before smirking. "You're both."

Narrowing her gaze at him, she shook her head at his remark.

"I know you need this so drink before I change my mind."

Closing her eyes and turning her head to the side, she surrendered her body to him. Gazing down at her, his eyes traced the soft contours of her face, knowing he had a choice to make. Either he could decline her offer and deny the mixture of feelings that were beginning to form in the pit of his stomach or he could drink her sweet blood and give in to her. It was more than his hunger that pushed his lips towards her throat, but knowing that she was willingly giving herself to him made his head spin. Pressing his lips against her neck, he placed a kiss so soft on her skin that she wondered if she had imagined it.

Without any more hesitation, he gently pierced his fangs into her as her eyes tightened. Drinking as gently as he could, Damon was well aware of Elena's traveling hands running up his arms before her fingers buried themselves in his hair. Even though his thirst was far from being satisfied, he slowly pulled away and leaned up on his elbow to gaze down at her, no trace of blood on his lips. Turning her face, she breathed heavily under his arms, unable to look away from the intensity in his eyes. With all the courage that she had, she moved her hands to the nape of his neck and slowly brought his face down towards hers. Before their lips could touch, the doorbell rang downstairs and he quickly moved away from her, reality hitting him like a bucket of cold water.

"Saved by the bell," he said, trying his hardest to smirk before swiftly rising to his feet.

Ignoring her piercing eyes, he wore a black shirt and ran a hand through his messy hair before walking out of the room. Lying on the bed with her hand placed over her rapidly beating heart, Elena released a shaky breath before rising to her feet. Gathering her things, she glanced back at the bed once more, remembering what had and hadn't just happened. Dropping her gaze, she turned and walked out of his room.

Hesitating behind the door to compose himself, Damon finally pulled it open and smiled when he saw who it was.

"Sophia."

"Am I interrupting something?" she asked, her eyes traveling to Elena's descending form.

Glancing over his shoulder, he turned back to Sophia with a low growl.

"No," he replied. "The interruption is most welcome."

"Damon, you can't fool me," she said with a smirk before walking into the house. "You must be Elena."

"Yes," the brunette said with a nervous smile.

"My name's Sophia and my husband Victor and I are old friends of Damon's," she explained. "We took Stefan with us the other day."

"How is he?" Elena asked quietly as Damon stole a quick glance in her direction.

"Better," Sophia said with a smile. "It was difficult the first few days, but he's starting to change back…into Stefan again."

"I'm glad," Elena said honestly.

The phone abruptly rang and Damon glanced up the stairs.

"I have to take a shower anyway," he said before seeing the sudden fear in Elena's eyes. "She won't touch you."

"There's no need to fear me, Elena," Sophia added. "I wouldn't want to face Damon's wrath. I know you're off-limits."

Smiling nervously, she turned to see Damon making his way to the second floor. Turning back, she froze when she noticed the amused look on Sophia's face.

"Tell me something, Elena," she began, crossing her arms at her chest. "Do you love Stefan?"

"Yes."

"And yet you were just looking at Damon with…dare I say it, longing?"

"Longing? No," Elena said with a laugh. "I'm just grateful to him, that's all, for saving my life."

"I may be a vampire, sweetheart, but I'm also a woman," Sophia pointed out. "There was enough tension between the two of you to make me want to faint, and I don't even need air to breathe."

"You're mistaken," Elena exclaimed. "I love Stefan. What happened these past few days, I don't know if I can go back to the way things were, but I love _Stefan_."

"No one's denying that," Sophia replied. "Something you should know though, Elena, is that a person's mind can lead them to lie about anything. But the eyes never can."

Before Elena could respond, Damon returned dressed and groomed for the day.

"That was fast," Elena commented.

"Vampire," he replied, rolling his eyes as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Smiling nervously, Elena turned back to Sophia.

"I should get to school. It was nice meeting you," she said before glancing at Damon again.

When the vampire refused to meet her eyes, Elena lowered her gaze and rushed out of the house. The moment the door had shut, an easy smile returned to Damon's face.

"What have you been up to with Stefan?"

"What have _you_ been up to with _Elena_?" Sophia countered.

"Nothing," he said with a growl.

"And those bite marks on her neck? Did you have _nothing_ to do with those too?"

"I hadn't fed in days so she offered and I drank," he said in a dull tone.

Outside, Elena searched through her purse before realizing she had left something inside. Turning back towards the house, she quietly opened the door by an inch when Damon's words made her stop cold.

"Once Stefan gets back, I can finally concentrate on the reason I ever came to this damn town in the first place…to find Katherine."

Removing the device from his pocket, he showed it to Sophia who frowned.

"And now I finally can."

"And Elena? What about her?"

"She's Stefan's girlfriend, not mine," he replied with a frown.

"That's all she is to you? Your brother's girlfriend?" Sophia asked skeptically.

"That's it."

"Even if she won't go back to him when he returns? Even if she can't get past what he almost did to her?"

"The only thing I care about is finding Katherine," he said, trying to convince himself as much as Sophia. "Nothing and no one else matters."

Closing the door with tears in her eyes, Elena turned and ran as fast as she could from the house.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve**

Having spent the past twenty-four hours looking for the missing piece of the device, Damon was about to give up his search when he finally found what he was looking for. Attaching the piece to the compass, Damon made his way towards the town's only bar. Sitting on one of the stools at the counter, he removed his cell phone and stared at the blank screen. He had expected Elena to message him last night and had felt surprised and disappointed when she didn't. Setting the phone down next to his half-empty glass of bourbon, he removed the compass from his pocket and twirled it around in his hand. Caught up in his conflicting thoughts, he remained oblivious to the young blond watching him from afar. Dressed in a short a short black dress, she swiftly moved across the floor before sitting down on his right.

"Drowning your sorrows?" she asked as he looked up at her.

"More like contemplating my options," he replied.

"Do any of those options involve you going home with a beautiful woman tonight?" she said, an arrogant smile on her lips.

He couldn't help but smirk at her words as she inched closer towards him.

"A few days ago, I would have said yes," he said before rising to his feet and pocketing the device. "But not tonight."

Finishing his drink, he placed a few bills on the counter before grabbing his cell phone and walking out of the bar. Sitting behind the wheel of his car, he hesitated briefly before pulling away down the road.

Walking out of her bathroom, Elena jumped back with a gasp when she saw Stefan waiting by her window. A sudden fear crept through her body and she took a tentative step away from him.

"It's me, Elena," Stefan exclaimed, his eyes showing the same warmth that she had first fallen in love with. "It's _me_."

Unsure whether she should trust him, she slowly sat down on the edge of her bed furthest away from him. Noticing the distance she was putting between them, Stefan's eyes saddened.

"Why are you here?" she finally asked. "I thought you were with Sophia and her husband."

"I was," he replied before leaning against the window frame.

"Are you…better now?" she managed to ask, her guard still up against him.

"Yes," he whispered.

"Are you drinking from animals again…or did you learn to control your thirst?"

"Animals," he replied before looking down. "I just can't risk it."

Knowing that he meant with her, Elena looked away uncomfortably.

"Elena," he said as their eyes locked once more. "I'm sorry. I am so, so sorry."

"Stefan…," she began.

"It has been killing me these past few days when I realized what I almost did to you," he cut her off.

"I know it wasn't you," she said.

Taking her words as a hopeful sign, Stefan moved to close the distance between them. Scrambling to her feet, Elena held her hand up to stop him and he froze by the foot of the bed.

"I'm sorry Stefan," she said, crossing her arms at her chest protectively. "I'm really happy that they were able to help you and that you're…_you_ again. But I don't think I can do this."

"Elena, I'm _so_ sorry," Stefan declared, the sadness in his eyes growing. "I love you."

"I know," she said, her own eyes filled with pain. "I love you too but I just…I can't, Stefan."

"What can I do?" he begged her. "Tell me what to do to fix this. I'll do anything."

"There's nothing you can do," she said quietly. "We can't just go back to the way things were. Too much has happened."

"Is there any chance that you could forgive me? Even a small chance?"

"It's not about forgiveness," she said sadly. "I can forgive you, Stefan. I think in a way I already have because I love you."

"Then what's the problem?" he asked, the hope returning to his voice. "Are you afraid of me?"

"I'm never going to forget," she explained. "That's the problem."

He hesitated for a moment before taking a small step towards her.

"Is there a chance?" he repeated. "_Any_ chance?"

Gazing into his eyes, Elena was unable to form any sort of response.

"Stefan?" a voice suddenly interrupted them.

Turning towards her door, Elena froze when she saw Damon standing there, a confused look on his face.

"When did you get back?"

"Just an hour ago," Stefan replied before glancing at the girl he loved. "I needed to see Elena first."

"Of course," Damon replied, covering his surprise with a smirk. "Well, don't let me get in the way of your epic reunion."

Lowering his gaze, he reluctantly turned around to leave.

"Damon, wait!" Elena exclaimed, running towards him as Stefan watched them in silence. "Why did you come here?"

As he slowly turned his face towards her, she looked into his eyes for an answer but his expression was unreadable.

"No reason," he said before disappearing down the stairs.

When she heard the sound of the door shutting, she turned to see Stefan watching her in confusion. Moving past him towards her bed, she gradually sat down and sighed. With Stefan standing only a few feet away, watching her intently, Elena's gaze traveled to her nightstand and landed on the rose.

Within ten minutes, Damon parked his car at the bar he had visited earlier. Searching through the crowd, his eyes caught hold of the same blond woman from before. Moving across the bar, he noticed a man in his late thirties desperately trying to flirt with her.

"She's taken for the night," he said as the woman looked up at him with a smile.

The other man quickly moved away as Damon turned towards the blond with a dark gaze.

"I take it the option reappeared?" she asked.

Without exchanging another word, he took her hand and led her towards the door.

Once morning arrived, the blond gave Damon a satisfied smile before leaving his bedroom, passing Stefan on her way out of the house. Waiting in the hallway, Stefan finally entered the room when he heard his brother exiting the shower. Damon was standing in the center of the room dressed in black dress pants, buttoning up his maroon shirt.

"Who was that?" Stefan asked but shook his head. "Never mind. I don't want to know."

"Was there something you needed, little brother?" Damon asked, turning to face him. "I swear, not even a day back and you're already annoying me."

"I wanted to talk about Elena," Stefan began quietly.

"What about Elena?" Damon replied, his voice sounding uninterested.

"How has she been?"

"You tried to eat her, Stefan…not once, but _twice_," Damon replied. "Take a guess."

"Last night, it was more than that," Stefan exclaimed. "She was so distant."

"You almost killed her. This is the consequence. Live with it," he said in a dry tone before grabbing his leather jacket. "All this talk about Elena. As I recall correctly, and I always do, she wasn't the only one you attacked that night."

"I know," Stefan said with a sigh. "I'm sorry."

Damon hesitated for a moment before suddenly swinging his right fist at Stefan's face, the blow sending his brother to the ground. Kicking him twice while he was down, Damon moved back with a smirk as Stefan struggled to his feet.

"Three for three," he said before walking past him.

"I deserved that," Stefan agreed, slowly following him down the stairs.

"You deserve that and much more," Damon corrected before heading to his car. "Fortunately for you, I have more important business to attend to."

Making her way down the path, Elena took a deep breath as she brushed her hair behind her ears. Last night, after Damon had left her bedroom, she had asked Stefan to give her time to think. Lying awake all night wondering why Damon had come to visit her, Elena finally decided to put an end to her curiosity and ask him for an explanation before heading to school.

"Where are you going?" Stefan asked as Damon opened his car door.

Turning to face him, he removed the compass from his pocket and waved it in the air.

"What is that?" Stefan asked with a frown.

"Vampire locator," Damon replied with a smirk, oblivious to the fact that Elena was standing a few feet away, hidden behind a set of trees but able to hear their conversation.

Seeing the confusion on his brother's face deepen, Damon's agitation grew.

"I don't have time to explain. All you need to know is that I found her."

"Who?"

"The long lost sister we never knew we had," Damon replied with a roll of his eyes. "Who do you think? Katherine."

As Stefan's eyes widened in shock, Elena felt a sudden pain in her chest.

"Try not to kill anyone while I'm gone," Damon added before climbing into his car and driving off.

When the dust had settled from his departure, Stefan noticed Elena standing a few feet away and smiled. His happiness slowly faded when he followed her gaze to Damon's departing vehicle.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen**

Walking out of her class, Elena draped her bag over her shoulder as she made her way towards the courtyard for the lunch period. Seeing Bonnie and Caroline chatting amongst themselves a few yards away, a smile approached her face. Moving in their direction, she stopped when she saw Stefan sitting on one of the picnic tables. Taking a deep breath, she paused before finally walking towards him.

"Hey," she said as he slowly looked up, a tentative smile on his face. "I didn't think I'd see you here today."

"I want to try and get back to my normal routine as much as I can," he replied.

"I could help you with the school work you missed," she offered and his smile widened. "If you need any help, that is."

"Thank you," he said softly. "I'll probably take you up on that."

Nodding, Elena slowly moved to sit beside him, making sure to put some distance between them.

"How's Bonnie doing?" he asked.

"Better," she replied as both stared ahead at Elena's best friend. "She blames you and Damon for what happened, though."

"She has every right," Stefan agreed with a sigh.

"Speaking of Damon," she began nervously.

Swallowing hard, Stefan tried to hide his jealousy at the sadness he had seen in Elena's when she watched Damon leave in search for Katherine.

"Have you heard from him?"

"No," Stefan replied honestly.

"No word at all?"

"Nothing," Stefan repeated and Elena looked away.

"I guess he finally got what he wanted," she said and Stefan was able to hear the slight pain in her voice. "I should go. I promised Bonnie and Caroline I'd hang with them today. I've been so wrapped up in everything else and spending so much time at your place."

"With Damon?" Stefan asked after a beat as Elena faced him.

"Is there a problem with that?"

"No," Stefan replied, carefully hiding his jealousy.

"He saved my life, Stefan," she explained before rising to her feet. "And he's been…kind to me."

"Damon? Kind?" Stefan asked skeptically.

Elena stared at him for a moment before speaking.

"I know what really happened, Stefan, all those years ago," she began and his smile quickly faded. "The _truth_."

"Elena…," he came to say.

"How you _chose_ to be a vampire," she cut him off. "How Damon chose differently. How Katherine still wanted him even though he was human and the jealousy and anger drove you mad. How you took that choice out of your brother's hands and sealed his fate right along side yours. He was your _brother_, Stefan."

"I regret my actions every day," he confessed.

"Why did you lie to me?" she asked with a frown.

"It's the one decision of my life that I regret the most…other than what I almost did to you," he explained quietly. "I didn't want you to know because I was afraid that you'd think the worst of me and see me through different eyes."

Elena looked away at his words and he smiled sadly.

"All I did was delay the inevitable though, didn't I?"

Looking back at him, Elena let out a heavy sigh.

"I don't know," she said before glancing back at her friends. "I should go."

Turning around, she walked away from him towards her friends as he watched her go, an agonized look in his eyes.

The sun had begun to set as Damon parked his rental car beside the large fountain in the center of the paved driveway. Tossing his leather jacket in the backseat, he climbed out of his car and stared at the mansion with an unsure look in his eyes. He had traveled to the South of France to an estate along the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. Knowing that the woman, the vampire, he had been in love with for so long was just beyond those doors made Damon hesitate for a nervous moment. Finally making a choice, he pocketed the compass and made his way towards the entrance. Ringing the bell, he waited silently until a young man, dressed without a shirt, opened the door.

"Yeah, what?" he demanded.

Tilting his head to the side, Damon stared at the young vampire for a long minute before finally speaking.

"Where is she?"

"Who?" he snapped, the attitude refusing the leave his voice.

"Katherine," Damon replied, his patience wearing thin.

"There's no Katherine here," he replied before moving inches from Damon's face. "I think it would be wise of you to turn around and leave."

Rolling his eyes, Damon reached out and grabbed the vampire's throat, easily lifting him from the ground.

"You're annoying me," he said and smirked. "Are you going to let me in?"

"Yes," the man sputtered before Damon tossed him across the room and walked into the house.

Landing with a loud clatter against the wall, the younger vampire jumped to his feet. Just as he was ready to attack, Damon slowly turned to face him with lethal eyes. Sensing his superiority, the younger vampire took a step back and watched as Damon moved through the house before entering the immense yard. A high fence was drawn around the patio with a thick curtain overhead to block away the sun. Dozens of vampires swarmed the area, dancing and drinking human blood from champagne glasses. Standing at the door, Damon's eyes searched the crowd before his eyes landed on the one he had been looking for.

Staring at the back of her head while she danced, a softness entered his eyes as memories of the past flooded his mind. A small smile appeared on his lips as he watched her body move effortlessly to the music playing in the background. The moment lasted only a few seconds and reality dawned upon him. Losing his smile, he stepped out onto the patio and began making his way towards her, ignoring the menacing looks he was receiving from the surrounding vampires. Stopping behind her, he hesitated for another moment before reaching out and touching a loose curl from her hair. Another vampire, tall with a muscular build, came to yank Damon's hand away but he was quicker and thwarted the attack, sending him flying across the yard just as Katherine turned around to see the source of the commotion.

"I know you," she said before a smile crept onto her face. "Damon Salvatore!"

"Katherine," he replied, his voice hard. "You're alive, so to speak."

"My darling, it has been far too long," she sang before turning towards her friends. "He easily has a century over any of you so don't try anything stupid."

As newfound respect entered everyone's eyes, Katherine turned to Damon happily.

"How did you find me?" she purred, seductively running her hand up his arm.

"You weren't in the tomb," he said before removing her hand. "I've been searching for a way to release you for almost a century and a half. I finally managed to open the tomb and imagine my surprise when I found everything and everyone…except for you."

Katherine contemplated his words before closing the distance between them and pressing her body against his.

"Why?" he asked, not bothering to move away.

With a smile on her face, she leaned forward and captured his lips with hers. Feeling defenseless against her, he gave in to her kiss and allowed her to deepen it. Pulling away when she was satisfied, she gave him a seductive lick on his neck.

"Why?" he asked again, staring into her eyes.

"Oh darling, I'm sorry," she said with a devilish smile. "You and your brother were fighting over me all the time and I couldn't choose between the two of you. How is Stefan?"

"Fine," Damon replied, his voice even. "So you pretended to be dead while I wasted all these years trying to find you?"

When she didn't respond, he released a bitter laugh from his throat.

"Did you ever love either of us? Did you ever love _me_?"

"Oh Damon," she sang his name. "What made you think anything we ever did involved love?"

Her answer pierced through him sharper than a sword but he quickly hid his pain behind a mask of disinterest.

"My mistake."

"But you're here now," she declared, running her hand down his chest before biting her lower lip. "If it makes you feel any better, no one has ever been able to please me sexually like you. The way that you would make me scream…let's just say no one else measures."

A wry smile covered his lips as he slowly leaned in towards her.

"You look just like her," he said, his words leaving Katherine confused. "But that's where the similarities end."

Moving away, he shook his head with a smirk.

"You're still cunning and manipulative, Katherine. Only now, you can add eternal bitch to the list too."

Pushing her away from him in disgust, Damon turned around to leave as all eyes remained on him.

"Where do you think you're going?" she demanded, angered by his rejection.

Ignoring her words, he entered the house and moved towards the main entrance. Climbing into his car, he angrily pulled away from the estate, oblivious to Katherine standing at the door, watching him with dark eyes.


	14. Chapter 14

Thanks so much for all the reviews! You guys have been really great :)

**Chapter Fourteen**

Walking into the hallway after his second period class, Stefan stopped when he saw Bonnie moving towards him, carrying a heavy stack of books. Rushing towards her, he extended his hand with a friendly smile.

"Do you need some help?"

Bonnie stared at him for a long moment, unsure whether or not she should accept. Finally giving in, she nodded and he took a few books from her arms.

"Thank you," she said quietly.

"It's not a problem," he replied as the two of them began walking towards her car in the parking lot. "How have you been?"

"Fine," she replied, her voice monotone.

"And your family?"

"Also fine," she replied, refusing to meet his gaze as they reached her car.

"Bonnie," he said, the pleading in his voice forcing her to turn and face him.

"What do you want, Stefan?" she asked in exasperation. "Do you want me to give you advice about Elena? Tell you what she was doing while you were trying to be…you again? Advise you to make things right between the two of you or give up once and for all?"

"No," he replied softly. "I wanted to apologize."

She was taken aback by his words, her face showing the surprise she felt.

"About what happened to your grandmother," he added before smiling sadly. "I really _am_ sorry."

"Thank you," she said with a frown before opening her trunk and depositing the books.

"If there's anything you need, anything at all, please let me know," he said, his smile genuine.

She was about to leave but stopped and faced him once more.

"Do you still love her?"

"Of course I do," he replied before sighing.

"Does she still love you?" Bonnie asked.

"I don't know," he said and looked down. "I think so."

"Let's get something straight first. Just because we're talking doesn't mean I stopped blaming you," she pointed out and he nodded. "You've been back for what, two weeks? Have you even spoken to Elena other than that first night in her room?"

"She said she needed time," Stefan replied sadly. "It's been hard but I've been trying to do that. She was dodging my calls so I took a step back to give her some space."

"Look, all I can tell you is that there's only so much time and space you can give a person," she explained, closing the trunk of her car. "Either she'll forgive you or she won't."

"She said forgiveness isn't the problem," he said and looked past Bonnie's shoulder. "She can't forget."

"Maybe she's forgotten. You won't know for sure unless you talk to her."

"Can I ask you something?" he said and she nodded hesitantly. "Did something happen between her and…?"

Sensing his pause, she crossed her arms at her chest.

"Damon?"

"Am I that obvious?" Stefan said with a low chuckle.

"Just a little," she replied with a wry smile before clearing her throat. "As for her and Damon, not that I know of. I mean, she stayed over at your house once I think and he stayed with her at her place too because of the nightmares."

"What nightmares?" he asked worriedly.

"About you," Bonnie replied quietly as Stefan looked away. "And I think he fed from her, but…"

"Wait, Damon fed on her?" he demanded, his anger rising.

"She offered," Bonnie corrected.

Taken aback by the words, Stefan stared at the witch in silence.

"It was when you tried to kill them both," she explained. "He had three stakes in him and he wasn't healing properly so she offered."

"Where did he bite her?" he asked slowly.

"On the neck, where else?" Bonnie replied and Stefan tried his hardest to contain his anger. "Look, you tried to kill her _and_ him. They didn't do anything other than what I said but even if they had, would you really have had a say anymore?"

"I guess not," he said, the sadness returning to his voice.

"I'm sorry," Bonnie said, feeling suddenly uncomfortable. "Just talk to her and hash this out with her. I know she still loves you."

"But is love enough?" Stefan asked, staring into her eyes.

All Bonnie could do was shrug. Before she could stop herself, she leaned forward and touched his arm in comfort. His eyes traveled to where her hand was resting on his arm and he smiled softly. Quickly pulling her hand back, Bonnie rushed into her car and sped away as a confused Stefan watched her go.

After school was done for the day, Elena opted to walk home to clear her mind instead of hitching a ride with Caroline or Matt. Making a turn down the road she lived on, she walked up the steps to her house and opened the door.

"I'm home," she called out just as Jenna poked her head into the hallway.

"How was school?" her aunt asked in a chipper voice.

"Boring as usual," Elena replied. "What's got you in such a good mood?"

"Hey Elena," Alaric suddenly said as he stepped out from behind Jenna.

"Hi Mr. Saltzman," Elena replied, trying to contain her smile.

"Please call me Alaric," he corrected and she nodded.

"Well, don't let me keep you guys," she said before making her way towards the stairs.

"Stefan's waiting for you in your room," Jenna added before entering the kitchen.

Taking a deep breath outside her door, Elena pushed it wide open and entered her room. Instantly turning to face her, Stefan gave her a small smile.

"Hey," she said, moving towards her bed and taking a seat as he stood against her window. "How have you been?"

"Good," he replied. "You?"

"I've been good too," she said with a nod.

Staring at her for a brief moment, Stefan slowly approached her and took a seat on her left.

"Elena," he began as they locked eyes. "You've wanted space and you've wanted time. I've tried to give that to you."

"I know," Elena agreed before looking down.

"But I need to know," Stefan continued. "I need to know if anything has changed. Do you still want to be with me?"

Gazing into his eyes again, she sighed. "I don't know."

"I know what I almost did to you and I'm so sorry for that."

"You don't have to keep apologizing," she cut him off. "I told you already, I forgive you."

"But you can't forget," he finished for her.

"It's not just that," she exclaimed. "I just feel like so much has happened these past few weeks and we've grown apart."

"I still love you," he said and she smiled.

"I love you too," she added. "I just don't think I can be with you right now."

"Does this have anything to do with Damon?" he suddenly asked.

"Damon?" she said with a frown before laughing. "No, Damon has nothing to do with this."

Not believing her words, he gently reached his hand out and brushed her hair away, revealing the faded bite marks on her neck.

"You let him bite you," he said and she quickly pushed her hair forward to cover her throat.

"He needed it," she explained.

"I guess I always thought I'd be the only one," he said sadly.

"He _needed_ it, Stefan," she repeated. "Besides, he went after Katherine and he's been gone for two weeks which means he probably found her and they reunited."

"Does that bother you?" Stefan asked quietly.

"No!" she exclaimed before jumping to her feet. "Damon can do whatever he wants with whoever he wants. It's none of my business and I couldn't care less."

"Elena…"

"He saved my life, he was kind to me and he…took care of me when I needed it," she reasoned. "I feel grateful to him and I feel like I understand him more but that's it."

"Where did you get that rose?" he suddenly asked.

Elena's eyes quickly traveled to the rose Damon had given her weeks ago, the one that had long ago withered away but she continued to keep by her bed.

"He gave that to you, didn't he?" he asked quietly.

"He's with _Katherine_ right this moment, for all we know."

"You didn't answer the question."

"Yes!" she admitted. "Yes, he gave that to me and yes, I kept it. In a weird way, it's comforted me the past few weeks."

Seeing the look in his eyes, Elena closed the distance between them.

"You're reading too much into this, Stefan."

"Am I?" he asked before smiling softly at her. "Because I don't think I am."

"I love _you_," she exclaimed before sighing. "Just because I can't be with you right now doesn't mean I love you any less."

"I know," he said understandingly. "I love you too."

Leaning forward, he placed a gentle kiss on her forehead before moving to her door.

"I've wronged you in many ways," he said, stopping to face her as she watched him. "I've wronged my brother even more. But I won't let history repeat itself again."

"What do you mean?" she asked with a frown.

"I mean I'm letting you go," he said with a shrug. "You're free to be with whoever you want. If you choose Damon, then so be it."

"I don't want to be with Damon," she exclaimed.

"No, Elena, you don't want to be with _me_," he corrected, his words silencing her. "Not anymore."

Before she could reply, he turned and walked out of her room, slowly shutting the door behind him. Falling back on her bed, Elena released a frustrated sigh and rubbed her tired eyes. In a way, she was glad that they had finally cleared the air between them. But the sense of relief she felt didn't take away the sadness in her heart. At first, she felt pain over ending things with him. A few months ago, she would have never guessed that their relationship would have come to such an end. But as the minutes ticked by and the skies outside her window turned from blue to black, a new form of pain entered her heart and this time, his name _wasn't _Stefan.


	15. Chapter 15

Sorry for the late update! Just to let you guys know, I'm going on vacation tomorrow for one week so I won't be able to update until I get back. Hopefully this chapter will keep everyone until then :) As always, thank you for the reviews!

**Chapter Fifteen**

Walking into the Salvatore mansion, Elena moved to the center of the parlor and glanced around herself, feeling the weight of everything that had happened during the past few months. She had fallen in and out of love with Stefan in the same room she was now standing in. Sighing quietly, she moved towards the staircase and a memory flashed through her mind of the night Stefan had tried to kill her and Damon had saved her life.

_Damon_, she sighed to herself as she ascended the stairs.

He had left almost three weeks ago in search of Katherine, not even bothering to say goodbye. Being gone for so long, Elena assumed that he had found Katherine and the two had reunited. A part of her was happy that he finally got the one thing he wanted all along but that didn't stop her heart from breaking more and more every day.

Walking where her feet were leading her, Elena entered Damon's room and stopped beside the bed. Glancing down at the sheets, her mind traveled back to the two times she had slept there beside him. Both times, she'd felt an intensity between them that she'd never felt before, not even with Stefan. She had allowed him to drink from her, an idea that Elena would have dismissed without hesitation months ago.

When she had first met Damon, she was able to see past his charm and ridiculously good looks to the danger and darkness lurking beneath. Everything he did repulsed her and she vowed to never let her guard down around him. So when had things changed? If Elena had to pinpoint a moment when Damon first began to confuse her, she would have said the night he gave her the rose. But if she had to pinpoint the very moment that she first began to see him through different eyes, it would be when they had opened the tomb.

Stefan's pain and suffering were always visible to everyone around him from the somber look in his eyes to the way he carried himself. With Damon, things weren't so black and white. One had to peel back the many layers he had built around himself and look past the danger and darkness to see his hidden pain, buried deep inside. Standing outside the closed tomb that night, seeing Damon's broken and defeated form, Elena was able to see his humanity for the first time. Thinking back to that night, Elena was unsure what had compelled her to embrace him with Stefan looking on. But at that moment, all she could see was Damon's sadness and all she wanted to do was take it away. Elena was used to Damon's selfish tendencies and his lack of compassion for human life. But that moment by the tomb, the moment that compelled her to embrace him, she finally saw him differently.

Thinking back, Elena knew that she and Damon had shared more significant moments than that one. But from the Miss Mystic Falls pageant when they danced to the single rose he had given her that she still kept by her bed to the times he saved her life, Elena realized that none of those moments would have impacted her so greatly if not for their first embrace by the tomb. Seeing bits and pieces of his humanity through the darkness surrounding him, Elena had begun feeling things for Damon that she never thought would be possible. But none of that mattered anymore, neither the fact that she and Stefan were over. Damon had reunited with Katherine, the love of his life, and the feelings Elena had for him would never be explored.

A sudden slam of the door downstairs broke Elena out of her trance and she quickly rushed out of the bedroom. With fear creeping through her, she crawled towards the staircase and peered down. Seeing no one on the floor below, Elena moved to the edge of the stairs and craned her neck. Moments later, a figure entered her view and all the fear and anxiety left her body. Walking down the stairs, Elena contained the sudden joy she was feeling before slowly approaching the figure from behind.

"Damon?"

His head lifted slightly and he turned around, a glass of bourbon already in his hand. They stared at one another for a moment and she was quickly able to sense the anger on his hard face.

"I'm surprised you're back," she managed to say.

"I live here, don't I?" he asked and took a sip from his drink, his eyes never leaving hers. "Where's Stefan?"

"He's visiting Sophia and her husband."

"You shouldn't be here then," he said, taking another sip as she frowned.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean get out," he said, his voice lethal and his eyes dark.

"Damon…"

"I'm not in the best of moods and brother dearest would never forgive me if I did anything to you."

"You won't hurt me. I trust you," she exclaimed firmly.

Her words angered him even more and within seconds, he was pinning her against the wall, the beastly look in his eyes sending a shiver down her spine.

"Get out!" he barked.

Gathering all the courage she had, Elena shook her head. "No."

"Your stubbornness is going to get you killed one day, do you know that?" he whispered.

"That day isn't going to be today," she replied, breathing heavily before her eyes softened. "I _trust_ you."

Repulsed by her words, he moved away and released a low growl that sent a tremble through the old house. Walking to the center of the room, he filled his glass with bourbon once more.

"Damon," she said and carefully moved towards him. "What happened?"

When he refused to answer, Elena placed her hand on his shoulder and instantly felt his tension ease. Turning around to face her, he had a smirk on his face that never met his eyes.

"I found her," he said after a minute.

"Katherine?" she spoke before sighing. "And?"

Moving away from her again, he put distance between them and sat on the sofa as Elena took a seat on the wooden coffee table in front of him.

"In the South of France," he continued and took another sip from his drink. "She was having a little house party with her minions."

Elena was surprised by his words, having expected a much different story.

"She recognized me, but…," he said before sighing and finally looking into her eyes, his anger returning. "'What made you think anything we ever did involved love?' That's what she said to me! Can you believe the bitch?"

Rising to his feet, he tossed his empty glass against the wall and watched as it shattered into a hundred pieces.

"I searched to free her for over a century and that's what she tells me?" he screamed and lurched the furniture across the room as Elena jumped to her feet and stepped back. "That manipulative _bitch_!"

Once he was finished and the room was a destroyed mess, he stood facing her, breathing heavily to emphasize the rage he felt even though he didn't need the air to breathe. Swallowing the nervous feeling in the pit of her stomach, Elena crossed the room and stopped directly in front of him. His anger slowly began to subside and the pain he felt began to cover his entire body.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

When he didn't move or look up, Elena felt her heart break. Closing the little distance between them, she grabbed the sides of his face and forced him to meet her eyes.

"I'm sorry," she repeated.

He stared at her for a long moment, the intensity of his gaze making her heart skip a beat.

"You look so similar," he suddenly said, his words catching her by surprise.

Looking down, she came to remove her hands from his face when he grabbed her elbows and pinned her to him.

"But you're _nothing_ like her," he finished and she was able to see the honesty of his words through the darkness in his eyes.

Sensing the rarity of his vulnerability, Elena leaned forward and pressed her lips against his before she had the chance to change her mind. Surprised by her move, Damon remained still against her body. When she didn't pull away, he moved his hands up her arms until his fingers were buried in her hair and increased the pressure of the kiss. With a mixture of feelings flooding through both their bodies, he moved her backwards until her spine was pressed against the same wall. Leaning back, he stared at her swollen lips before lifting his gaze to her lustful eyes.

"Stefan," was all he said.

"Done," was the only word that left her throat.

He stared at her for another second before covering her mouth with his. The escalating heat and passion between them was one that Elena had never experienced or felt before. The expertly way that Damon devoured her mouth made her mind wander back to the road trip he had taken her on.

_'He's great in bed,'_ Bree had said with a sly smile.

Moving her head back, she took a moment to gaze into his dark eyes. With everything that had happened between them and the unexpected compassion he had shown her over the weeks, Elena realized that he was so much more than what she and everyone else believed him to be.

"Damon," she whispered as he tilted his head to the side to look at her.

Lifting his index finger to her mouth, he gently rubbed her lower lip as she watched him, her breath caught in her throat. Before either could speak, the sudden sound of the doorbell snapped them out of their trance. Moving away from her with a confused look on his face, he ran a hand through his messy hair to steady himself. Watching him in silence, Elena stepped away from the wall and took a deep, calming breath. Grabbing the handle, Damon hesitated for another moment before swinging the door open.

"Ric," he said with a fake smile as Alaric walked past him into the house.

Staring between the two, Alaric sensed the thick tension in the air before focusing on Damon.

"I saw your car earlier," he explained before noticing the damaged furniture behind them. "What happened?"

"I was angry," Damon said with a shrug as Alaric turned to Elena.

"Are you alright?"

"It wasn't directed at me," she assured him.

"Then I guess that means you either found Katherine and your reunion wasn't quite what you expected or you never found her to begin with," Alaric continued and faced Damon once more.

"Is there a particular reason you decided to grace me with your presence?" Damon asked as Alaric sighed and looked at Elena.

"Your uncle's not giving up."

"And why does that concern me?" Damon asked, sounding bored. "I have the device, he doesn't and he's not stupid enough to try and fight me for it. Vampire, remember?"

"I overheard him on the phone the other day and whatever he's up to, believe me, it's not good," he explained. "I followed John to a house a few miles west of town yesterday and whatever he's doing, he's doing it there. I figured you and I could take a little trip while he's busy with the Council."

"Why do I care again?" Damon repeated.

"Because whatever he's up to means trouble for you and your brother."

"Gosh, Ric, I didn't know you cared," Damon exclaimed, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Don't flatter yourself," Alaric replied before facing Elena again. "Do you need a ride?"

Elena's eyes quickly drifted to Damon who refused to look at her.

"No," she finally said. "It's fine, I'll just give Bonnie a call."

"Alright, let's get moving then," Alaric said and walked out of the house.

Just as Damon was about to follow, Elena reached out and grabbed his hand.

"What happened between us…," she began.

"Don't cry over it," he replied with a thin smile. "I was pissed and you were there. We can forget it ever happened."

"I don't want to forget," she exclaimed, her stubbornness returning as he stared into her eyes with a smirk.

"I don't do roses, chocolates or poetry, Elena. That's St. Stefan."

"I know who you are, Damon."

"If you know me as well as you think you do, then you'd be smart to walk away."

"Let's say for argument's sake, I'm not smart," she stated.

"Then I'll do it for you," he said and moved past her before she had a chance to reply.

As she stood in the door frame and watched, Damon climbed into the passenger seat and Alaric turned the car around. She had kissed him on impulse and the kiss they had shared, although intense, had also been gentle. Watching the car disappear, Elena slowly touched her lips and released a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding.


	16. Chapter 16

**Hey everyone, sorry for the late update but the day after I returned from vacation, my uncle passed away and it's been a tough week for my family. **

**Milly.P****, I'm sorry that you thought chapter fourteen sucked. Hope you like the rest **

**Chapter Sixteen**

Parking the car in the small alleyway, Alaric and Damon crept across the dark road before stopping at the front door of an aged house. Isolated by a group of tall trees, it remained at a distance from the other buildings in the area. Grabbing the handle, Alaric slowly twisted the knob and opened the door. When nothing but darkness greeted them from the other side, he took a quiet step forward and walked inside. Glancing back at Damon, he raised his eyebrows expectantly at the vampire. Unsure whether or not he'd be able to enter the house, Damon slowly tipped his foot across the wooden frame.

"I guess the owner's dead," he commented before walking all the way in and closing the door behind him.

"If this is John's secret hideout, don't you think it's weird that there's no one guarding it?" Alaric whispered as they crawled through the empty hallway.

"Gilbert wants to kill any and every vampire and humans are too weak to stand against us. So who exactly do you think should be guarding this place?" Damon replied, his words earning a glare from Alaric.

"Why did I bring you with me again?" Alaric asked as they rounded a corner and approached the basement door.

"For my witty remarks and charming personality," Damon said with a grin before pulling the door open.

Seeing light at the bottom of the stairs and hearing the sudden sound of footsteps, they shut the door and rushed into the adjacent room. Hiding in the shadows, they waited in silence as the basement door opened and John walked out.

"I need that device," he claimed, running a hand through his hair before facing the basement door. "And I need it now."

"You'll get it," a female voice came as Alaric and Damon glanced at one another in confusion.

"I better," John hissed. "Don't fail me, Isobel."

Alaric's eyes widened at the name and he let out a quiet gasp.

"Be careful who you threaten, John," Isobel replied, tossing a few loose strands of her dark hair over her shoulders.

They stared at one another for a long moment before John eventually looked away and walked towards the main door. Once he was outside and the door had closed behind him, Isobel turned around with a roll of her eyes.

"You can come out now."

Frozen in his spot, Alaric pressed his back against the wall as Damon stared at him through the darkness. Realizing that he wasn't yet ready to face his wife, Damon moved past him and entered the room.

"Damon Salvatore," Isobel said, a smile immediately covering her face. "I never thought I'd see _you_ again."

"You're in _my_ town, Isobel," Damon replied, a cold smile on his lips. "Did you really think your presence would go unnoticed?"

Letting out a musical laugh, Isobel closed the distance between them and placed her hand on Damon's chest, seductively drawing patterns on the small area of exposed skin just above his collar.

"Why are you here?" he asked.

"Why else?" she said and looked into his eyes. "John wants the device, Damon."

"I know he does because I have it and there's absolutely no way I'm handing it over," he replied before moving a step back from her. "Why are _you_ here?"

"Didn't you miss me?" she purred.

Knowing Alaric was listening to their every word, Damon took another step back.

"What about your daughter?" he asked, his words causing Isobel's smile to disappear. "Elena's knows she was adopted and who her real mother is. She knows I changed you."

"I guess it helps having the Salvatore brothers at her disposal," Isobel began. "Access to all kinds of information."

"Why are you here?" Damon asked again. "Are you planning on visiting Elena?"

"Why do you ask?"

"You're not going to hurt her, Isobel," he said, his voice calm but deadly enough for her to know how serious he was. "She's been through a lot the past few years and you're not going to cause any trouble for her, do you understand? In fact, you're not going to go near her at all."

Amused by his words, she crossed her arms at his chest and smiled.

"I thought Katherine was your one and only," she began, her smile widening. "I guess I was mistaken."

"Stay away from Elena," he repeated, slowly and deliberately enunciating every syllable.

Closing the distance between them once more, she lifted her face so her lips were only a few inches from his. "Or what?"

"Or I'll rip you apart and send you back to Katherine piece by piece," he replied as Isobel moved back. "You're here on her orders, aren't you?"

"What makes you think that?"

"I'm very perceptive. It's one of my better qualities," he replied, the smile on his face never reaching his eyes.

"Oh, I know your _better_ qualities," she sang.

"Be careful what you say," he said and moved aside just as Alaric stepped into view.

The smile on her face immediately disappeared as she stood frozen in her spot.

"All this time searching for you and here you are," he managed to say, shaking his head in disbelief as tears welled in his eyes. "Where should we start? How about where have you been? Why did you leave me? Why the hell did you ask Damon to change you into a vampire?"

"Alaric…," she began but he let out a laugh.

"You know, all this time, I wondered what I'd say to you when I finally found you again and to be honest, I'm speechless," he exclaimed. "Did you ever love me at all?"

"Yes," she said firmly but he laughed again.

"No, you didn't," he snapped as Damon stared between the two awkwardly. "If you did, you never would have made that choice. It's one thing if someone removes your free will and turns you into a vampire but to personally want this…that puts you in a new category altogether."

"Alaric…," she said and came to reach for him but he yanked his arm away.

"Go to hell," he exclaimed. "Where you belong."

Moving past her, he stormed out of the house as she watched him go in silence.

"Well, that was fun," Damon said sarcastically as Isobel turned back towards him. "The next time that bitch wants something, tell her to come and get it herself."

With his dark eyes expressing the deadly threat behind his words, he moved past her and followed Alaric to the car. Once he was in the passenger seat, Alaric pressed the gas pedal and blasted down the road. Damon secretly watched him from the corner of his eyes as the rest of the ride went by in silence, the only noise that of Alaric's heavy breathing. Eventually pulling in front of his own house, the teacher switched the motor off but remained behind the wheel.

"I guess this means I'm walking home," Damon commented but his words were met by silence.

Opening his door, Alaric climbed out of the car and slowly approached his door. Having been invited into Alaric's home once before, Damon followed him into the dark house. Pouring himself a drink, Alaric quickly downed the alcohol before looking up at Damon.

"What do you want?" he snapped, an edge to his tone.

"Are you going to be alright by yourself?" Damon asked with a frown.

As Alaric released a hearty laugh, Damon's frown narrowed and confusion filled the expression on his face.

"Well there's two things I never thought I'd see," he began.

"Do share," Damon said with a fake smile that showcased his perfect set of teeth.

"Hating my wife and you giving a damn about someone other than yourself," Alaric replied.

"I _don't_ give a damn," Damon corrected. "Pissing you off happens to be one of the many highlights of my existence and I'd hate to lose that."

Alaric shook his head before taking a seat on his sofa.

"I finally found her," he said aloud, staring into thin air. "What am I supposed to do now?"

"The way I see it, you only have a few options," Damon began as Alaric looked up at him sadly. "Either you could kill her since she's a vampire and that's what you do or you could turn into a vampire yourself and die happily ever after."

"Is there a third option?"

"You could suck it up and get over the fact that she dumped your ass to become a vampire and move on."

"This coming from the guy who was hung up on someone who didn't even want him for two hundred years," Alaric exclaimed.

"A century and a half, asshole," Damon snapped as Alaric let out another laugh.

"Well, option one I can't do. No matter how much I hate her right now, I could never kill her," he explained. "Option two is out of the question so I guess that leaves me with option three."

"So start sucking it up, then," Damon replied with a shrug.

"Elena's had a real affect on you, hasn't she?" Alaric asked as Damon looked away. "A few months ago, you'd never be standing here giving me advice."

"Don't let it go to your human head," Damon exclaimed and turned towards the door.

Grabbing the handle, he tossed Alaric one final glance before walking out of the house. Using his super-human speed, Damon rushed through the shadows before eventually stopping at his estate. Opening the door, he walked inside and froze when he saw Bonnie sitting across from Stefan, engaged in deep conversation. Both rose to their feet when they heard the door closing shut.

"I was just leaving," Bonnie exclaimed, sharing a small smile with Stefan before moving past Damon and walking out of the door.

"What did the witch want?" Damon asked, immediately pouring himself a glass of bourbon.

"Just wanted to say hi," Stefan replied with a shrug. "You've been gone for weeks. Where the hell have you been? Did you find Katherine?"

"Forget all of that. None of that matters," Damon said with a wave of his hand. "We have a bigger problem."

"You mean aside from the endless love triangles we keep finding ourselves in?" Stefan asked dryly.

"Isobel's in town."

His response took Stefan by surprise as he took a small step back.

"Isobel as in Elena's mother-turned-vampire Isobel?"

"She's working with John Gilbert and they're searching for this," Damon said before removing the small compass from his pocket.

"That's the vampire locator you mentioned before disappearing for three weeks."

"The sword at the end can find and locate any and every vampire," Damon explained.

"Why would Isobel help John search for the device? She has just as much at stake as any one of us," Stefan said in confusion.

"Whatever her reasons are, she's not helping John for _his _benefit," Damon replied and finished his drink. "She's doing it for Katherine."

"Isobel and Katherine are working together?" Stefan asked before shaking his head. "Speaking of Katherine…did you find her?"

"Yes, I found her and the bitch can rot in hell for all I care," Damon replied, the bitterness in his voice surprising Stefan.

"What happened?"

"She acted like the past century and a half were nothing of importance and something in me kind of snapped and it's like I finally woke up," Damon said through gritted teeth. "I rejected her."

"I take it she didn't handle the rejection too well," Stefan commented.

"I didn't exactly stick around to find out," he replied in an uncaring tone. "But if there's one thing I can say about Katherine, it's that she's even more diabolical than me and that's saying something."

"So what's the plan?" Stefan asked, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

"I'm going to hide this damn thing where no one can find it and you're going to tell Elena that her psychotic mommy dearest is in town."

"Maybe you should tell Elena," Stefan suggested, taking the compass from his brother's hand.

"She needs understanding and emotional support," Damon began with a smile that never reached his eyes. "That's you, Stef…not me."

Taking the compass back, he moved through the parlor and began ascending the stairs to the second floor. Although Stefan hesitated at first, he eventually began making his way towards Elena's home.

"Hi Stefan," Jenna greeted him with a confused smile. "What are you doing here?"

"Is Elena home?"

"Yeah, she's upstairs in her room."

"Do you mind if I go up? There's something I need to talk to her about."

"Go ahead," she replied, stepping away so he could enter.

Moving past her, he slowly climbed the stairs one step at a time, feeling Jenna's gaze on his back. Turning at the top of the stairs, he stopped behind Elena's closed door and looked down at the handle. He paused for another minute before finally twisting the knob and opening the door. Moving into her bedroom, he quickly noticed her sleeping peacefully in her bed. Her face was serene as her chest slowly moved up and down with loose strands of her hair covering her pillow. A soft smile covered Stefan's face as he watched her, momentarily transfixed by her simple beauty. Pulling himself out of his daze, his eyes traveled to her open diary on the bed beside her and as much as he knew he shouldn't, his heart and mind yearned to know her thoughts. Silently lifting the book, he turned back to her last entry and began skimming through her written words.

_I kissed him. Damon Salvatore...I can't believe I kissed him._

Stefan looked away from the page, a mixture of feelings flowing through him. Forcing himself to keep reading, he turned his eyes back to the diary.

_He was standing in front of me, wounded because of Katherine and I acted on impulse. But when his lips touched mine, I felt like I was on fire. The heat in his gaze overwhelmed me and I allowed him to press my back against the wall and we kissed again. I must be crazy, right? The feelings that I had when he kissed me can't be real. I can't possibly feel so deeply for someone that I hated only weeks ago. But those weeks feel nothing more than a distant memory now and all I can think about is the sensation in my chest when he buried his hands in my hair and deepened the kiss._

Stefan sadly glanced back at a sleeping Elena as she slept unaware to his presence.

_And then Alaric interrupted us and Damon became...Damon again. He turned cold and distant and pretended that nothing had happened. He downplayed the kiss we shared and warned me to stay away from him. But how can I do that? Especially now when my lips are still burning hours later and my heart is beating faster than it ever has. Ever since that night when he gave me that rose, nothing has been the same. What am I going to do? I still love Stefan, I know I do but things between us have changed and although I don't blame him, I can't be with him anymore. And what I feel for Damon has to be related to him saving my life, right? I mean, I can't possibly be falling in love with him because that would be completely ridiculous...right?_

Her thoughts ended with that question as she had fallen asleep before completing her entry. Slowly lowering the diary back on the bed, he moved towards the window and leaned his back against the frame. Removing his eyes from her sleeping figure, a sudden feeling of hatred entered his heart as he looked outside the window at the dark night.

Eventually walking back into the house, Stefan moved through the parlor towards the staircase as Damon looked up at him from the windows at the end of the room.

"How did she take it?" he asked quietly.

"I didn't tell her," Stefan replied, his head lowered. "You should."

Damon watched him climb the stairs in confusion before he disappeared somewhere on the second floor. Hesitating in his spot, he silently went over his options before leaving the house with a frustrated groan. Fifteen minutes later, he pulled his car to a stop and began knocking on the Gilbert door.

"Damon?" Jenna asked, the confusion on her face showing.

"Is Elena home?"

"She's upstairs," the young aunt replied before stepping back and allowing him entrance.

Moving towards the staircase, he began heading to the second floor and barged into the room with little patience or care. Closing the door, he moved towards her bed and instantly stopped, staring down at her sleeping face in silence. Although deep down he knew he should keep his distance, something in him yearned to feel her skin. Reaching down, he ran his fingers down her cheek before stopping over her heart. As if on cue, Elena's hand moved to cover his and firmly held his hand in place over her chest. Opening her eyes, she looked up at him through a soulful gaze as he stared at her with a frown.

"I'm glad you came," she whispered.

Finally peeling his hand away from hers, he moved back and took a seat on the chair as she sat up in her bed.

"That's not why I'm here," he began, clearing his throat as she frowned.

"Then why?"

"It's about Isobel."

"What about her?" Elena asked after a minute.

"She's here in town," he explained as her eyes widened. "She's working with your uncle and they're searching for the device I used to find Katherine."

"She's here?" Elena asked before looking away. "Did you speak with her?"

"Yes."

"What did she say?"

"Nothing worth repeating," Damon replied as she looked up at him with hurt eyes.

"Did she mention me?" she asked in a quiet voice.

"Not until I did," he replied honestly.

"Of course," Elena said, shaking her head. "I mean, what did I expect? A happy family reunion? She deserted me when I was born and now she's a vampire. Why would she care about me?"

"I'm sorry," Damon said, his words surprising them both.

Feeling his own humanity for the first time in over a century, Damon slowly rose to his feet with a confused look on his face.

"I should go. I just thought you should know."

When he was about to reach the door, her pleading voice pierced through him and made him freeze in his spot.

"Wait!" she exclaimed as he slowly turned to face her. "Can you stay? I don't mean it like that. Can you just stay with me for a while…as a friend? I don't want to be alone."

He contemplated his options but eventually nodded. Crawling back under her covers, Elena quickly shut her diary and stuffed it under her pillow as Damon moved towards the empty side of her bed. Turning on her side towards him, she stared up at him in silence as he kept his gaze fixed on the wall ahead. Boldly reaching out and intertwining her fingers with his, she pulled his hand towards her and gripped it tightly against her chest before closing her eyes. Every instinct in his body was shouting at him to leave her room, but he couldn't. Every fiber in his body was telling him that this wasn't like him and what he felt for her was nothing more than a foolish crush. But the peaceful look on her face stopped his thoughts and he realized that as much as he knew he should, he just couldn't pull away.


	17. Author's Note

Hi Everyone,

Let me start by saying I am so, so, so sorry for not updating the past few months. So much has happened during this time that I haven't had time to catch my breath. I finished school, began my professional career and with a part time job on the side, I've been running around like a crazy person!

But I never forgot this story or any of you and I promise to update every few days from now on. My next chapter will be up in the next couple days. I just hope you guys continue reading and haven't forgotten about me :)

p.s. Did anyone else tear up when Damon finally told Elena he loved her on the show? Definitely my favorite scene so far :)


	18. Chapter 17

Hi everyone. I'm going to have some mild spoilers for various episodes of season two in the upcoming chapters. Also, I'm going to use the moonstone storyline and add my own story to it. Hope you enjoy :)

**Chapter Seventeen**

Opening his eyes, Damon stared up at the ceiling above in silence. Hearing a gentle intake of breath on his left, he slowly turned his face to see Elena sleeping peacefully. Her chest moved up and down as her silky hair laid scattered over her face and pillow. Reaching forward, he softly removed a strand of hair from her cheek with the gentlest of touches. When she tilted her head to the side, he withdrew his hand in anticipation that she was waking up. Instead, as he watched her every move closely, she released a content sigh and whispered his name.

The sound of his name from her lips, so gentle and calm, affected him far greater than he would ever dare admit. Quickly scrambling to his feet, he took one last look at her face before bolting out the door. Almost instantly, Elena's eyes shot open, as if she sensed the absence of his presence. Slowly sitting up in her empty bed, she looked down once she heard the door downstairs closing.

Sighing heavily, she rose from her bed, took a few minutes to wash up and made her way downstairs. As she took a seat behind the kitchen counter, she looked up to see Jenna pouring herself a cup of coffee with an amused look on her face.

"Morning," Elena said with a frown. "What's with you?"

"Nothing," Jenna replied before passing another cup of coffee to Elena.

"Jenna," the younger girl said sternly.

"Are you and Damon together?" she asked suddenly, the question taking Elena by surprise.

"What? No," she said, shaking her head.

"Then why is it that he's spent the past few nights here with you…in your bedroom?" she asked, taking a sip of her coffee as Elena looked down, avoiding eye contact.

"He's just been a really good friend, that's all."

"That's all?" Jenna asked, her tone finally forcing Elena to meet her gaze. "Look, you know I don't like Damon. I think he's an arrogant ass but that would mean nothing if you actually liked him."

"I don't!" Elena exclaimed before sighing. "I don't know, I'm confused."

"I know you ended things between you and Stefan. Do you still love him?" Jenna asked, her tone more tender.

"I think a part of me will always love Stefan," she replied honestly.

"And Damon?" Jenna prodded.

"I don't know," she repeated. "We kissed yesterday."

"And how did that make you feel?" Jenna continued, taking a seat opposite her niece.

"It felt like my whole body was on fire," Elena replied, staring at the cup she gripped between her fingers. "Like I never wanted him to stop. My entire body shivered and I felt an ache, deep inside my chest. I can't explain it."

"Oh boy," Jenna said with a smile as Elena looked up at her.

"What do you mean by that?"

"You've got it bad," Jenna said, unable to control her laughter.

Seeing the confusion on Elena's face, she cleared her throat.

"I always figured you had a crush on Damon but I never thought you were in love with him."

"I'm not!" Elena defended, getting to her feet. "I can't explain it, whatever it is that I feel for him, but I'm not in love with him."

"Look, I don't know what happened between you and Stefan because you keep everything to yourself. I like Stefan, he's a sweet and caring guy," Jenna began. "And Damon, well he's just an arrogant jerk most of the time, but..."

"But what?" Elena asked quietly.

Smiling sympathetically, Jenna reached out to touch her niece's arm.

"Sometimes, the way he looks at you," she stated before sighing. "Intensely is one way to describe it. But it's fleeting and it disappears from his eyes seconds later. It's like he wants you but he knows he can't have you."

Unable to hide her smile, Elena looked down to hide the blush that had crept on her face.

"Oh yeah, you've got it bad," Jenna said, finishing her coffee. "Personally, I think you and Stefan should try and work things out because you were really good together. But I've never seen you so hot and bothered as when you're thinking of Damon so I trust your judgment. If you think deep down there's a heart beating beneath his self-serving but unbearably handsome face, then I trust you."

"Sounds like you're the one with a crush," Elena said with a laugh.

"Just because I don't like the guy doesn't mean I'm blind," Jenna said with a smirk. "Now come on. It's the Founder's Day Festival today and since you pulled out of the float at the last possible minute, you're going to help me set up."

With that, she rinsed her cup in the sink and began heading upstairs as Elena watched her go. Once she was finished her own coffee, she walked up the stairs and into her room. Closing the door, she turned around and her eyes landed directly on the rose. She stared at it for a long while, transfixed by its withering petals until Jenna knocked on the door from outside, pulling her out of her daze.

On the other side of town at the Lockwood estate, Tyler made his way across his grounds and to the large garage at the back. Ransacking the place for the tools he needed, he stopped searching after several minutes and groaned in frustration. Turning around, his eyes focused on the large garbage bin to his right and without any hesitation, he reached out with his leg and kicked the metal can. He jumped back in surprise when he saw his kick lifted the can into the air and sent it flying, landing several yards away on the ground. Lowering his gaze to his leg, he stared down in confusion as his rapid heartbeat continued to grow.

Several hours had passed and once the festival finally went underway, Damon and Stefan walked out onto the sidewalk, watching the festivities in silence.

"Why are we here again?" Damon asked in a whine.

"Because something's going to happen tonight, I can feel it," Stefan replied.

As both boys stared out into the large crowd around them, their eyes landed on Elena standing on the opposite side of the street, locked in conversation with Jenna and Alaric.

"So," Stefan began, both noticing who the other was looking at.

"So," Damon repeated in a mocking tone.

"How's Elena?" Stefan asked, crossing his arms at his chest.

"I don't know. Why don't you go ask her?" Damon said with a shrug.

"How did she take the news about Isobel?" Stefan continued, ignoring his brother's comment.  
"As well as expected," Damon replied, trying to keep his tone even and uninterested. "We know that both John and Katherine want the compass but I have a feeling that's just the tip of the iceberg."

"Meaning?" Stefan asked with a slight frown.  
"John Gilbert's the big bad wolf?" Damon said with a scoff. "That little flea's working for someone."

"He's working for Katherine," Stefan pointed out.

"But who's Katherine working for?"  
"Nobody," Stefan replied. "Katherine only works for herself."

"Maybe, maybe not," Damon said with a shrug.  
"Stop changing the subject. We need to have this conversation," Stefan said, turning to fully face his older brother.  
"We_ are_ having a conversation."  
"About Elena," Stefan added, his words causing Damon to roll his eyes.  
"There's nothing to discuss," he replied and came to walk away when Stefan followed him.  
"So much has happened and changed the past few weeks. We need to talk about this, Damon!"  
Turning around, Damon released a frustrated sigh.  
"You got human blood in your system and you couldn't hack it so you tried to kill your one and only. Then when you turned back into St. Stefan, she couldn't be near you. What else is there to say?"  
"You!" Stefan exclaimed. "How you fit into all of this."  
"Look, I saved her life a few times and I'll go so far as to admit that I somewhat care about her well-being. But that's where my role ends."  
"So you just care for her as a friend?" Stefan asked skeptically. "Damon, you need to stop lying."

When he came to walk away again, Stefan reached out and spun him around.  
"Do you think I like that Elena and I can't be together? Or that every time she looks at me, she has this reservation in her eyes? But every time she looks at you, it's like her face brightens up? You think I don't see any of that?"  
"You're over-thinking things as usual."  
"No, I'm not," Stefan replied. "Her happiness means more to me than mine."  
"Glad you feel that way," Damon replied before yanking his arm away and disappearing within the crowd.

On the other side of the street, Elena had seen the brothers arguing and her eyes followed Damon as he walked through the crowd. Just as she was about to turn to follow him, a voice stopped her.  
"Hey," Caroline said as Elena faced her.  
"Caroline, hey," she replied, forcing a smile onto her face.  
"How have you been?" the blond asked quietly.  
"Fine, I guess," Elena lied. "How about you?"  
"Angry," Caroline suddenly snapped, her tone surprising her friend.  
"What do you mean? What's wrong?"  
"Did you know that Matt and I broke up?" she asked.  
"No, I didn't," Elena said, shaking her head. "What happened?"  
"Why does it matter? It obviously doesn't matter to you," she exclaimed before turning to walk away.  
"Caroline," Elena called after her.  
Leaving her spot in the crowd, she followed her friend to an empty park bench.  
"Caroline, talk to me. What's wrong?"  
"Talk to you?" Caroline snapped, the hurt in her voice overtaking the anger. "When have I seen you these past few weeks for me to talk to you?"

"I'm sorry, I've just had a lot going on," Elena defended herself.

"So have I!"

Elena recognized the hurt in her friend's voice and sighed.

"You're right, I'm sorry," she apologized. "I really am."  
Caroline looked away as Elena reached out and touched her arm in comfort.

"What happened between you and Matt?"

"Nothing! Everything!" she exclaimed in frustration. "I don't know, things were going good for a while but I just got tried of him prioritizing everything and everyone ahead of me."

"So _you_ broke things off?" Elena asked before smiling. "I'm proud of you."

"You are?" Caroline asked in confusion.  
"I love Matt; he's one of my oldest friends. But you deserve better than the way he treated you."

"Yeah," Caroline agreed absently. "What about you and Stefan?"

"That's a long story."

"I have time," Caroline said simply.

Elena glanced at her momentarily before sighing.

A lot happened between us, things I don't really want to get into," she began.

"Things you don't want to or things you can't?"

"What do you mean?" Elena asked with a frown.

"Come on, Elena. I'm not stupid. I know something's going on," Caroline exclaimed. "Something that you, Bonnie, Stefan and Damon all know and talk about but won't tell me."  
"Caroline..."  
"You and Bonnie are my best friends," she cut her off, the sadness in her voice emerging once more. "You're my best friends and you're keeping all these secrets from me."  
"I'm just trying to protect you."  
"Protect me from what?" Caroline asked in frustration. "Just tell me what's going on."  
Elena looked away from her friend and stared out at the festivities a few feet away. Children played amongst themselves as parents watched with smiles on their faces, all oblivious to the dangers that lurked around them. As she waited for her friend to speak, Caroline looked up to see Tyler walking down the opposite sidewalk, his hands stuffed in his pockets and his head bent down, shying away from the people around him in an uncharacteristic way. She continued to watch as he reached the end of the street and ran into a few of his friends from the football team.

"Tyler, man, where have you been?" Brent, the taller boy in the middle, exclaimed as he bit into his hot dog.

"You know, around," he replied with a shrug.  
"Around? We haven't seen you in practice for weeks. The coach is blowing a fuse," Brent continued.  
"He's thinking of cutting you from the team," Bobby, a shorter but more muscular boy, added.  
"So then he'll cut me. Who cares?" Tyler snapped.  
Just as he was about to push past them, Brent grabbed his arm and spun him around. Tyler instantly forced him into a chokehold and held the bigger boy in a tight grip before releasing him angrily. The two startled boys stared at him in shock before scrambling to their feet and running down the street. Tyler stared down at his hands in confusion before glancing around himself nervously. Once he was sure no one had witnessed the fight, he lowered his gaze and continued his path down the street.  
"Caroline?" Elena repeated her friend's name, pulling the girl out of her daze. "Are you okay?"  
"Yeah," she said before rising to her feet. "Can I call you later? I just have to go do something."  
Without waiting for a response, she jogged down the road as a confused Elena watched her go.  
"Tyler!" she called out once they had reached a fountain in the empty park. "Hey, Tyler!"  
The boy stopped abruptly in his tracks and spun around to face her.  
"What do you want, Forbes?" he snapped.  
"Are you okay?" she asked, the tenderness in her voice calming his nerves.  
"I'm fine," he said, his voice gentler than a few moments ago.  
"You don't look fine," she commented.  
"Well I am," he replied. "I just have a lot on my mind."  
"I know; me too," she agreed.  
He scoffed at her words, his act causing her to frown.  
"Why, because you and Matt broke up?" he exclaimed. "My problems are so much worse than a failed high school relationship."  
"Then tell me what's wrong," she urged him.  
"Why do you even care?" he replied. "We're not exactly friends."  
"What are you talking about? I've known you my whole life," she replied with a smile.  
"And apart from you calling me an ass and me calling you a bitch, tell me one time we've actually spoken to one another," he exclaimed.  
"We're talking now," she offered.  
He scoffed again and looked away as she closed the distance between them. Boldly reaching out, she placed her hands on the sides of his face as he looked up and met her eyes.  
"What's wrong?" she whispered.  
They stared at one another for a long time before he finally pulled away from her.  
"Mind your own business," he said before disappearing into the park.  
As she watched his go, she felt her heart beat rapidly in her chest. Back at the bench, Elena continued to search for Caroline in the crowd, feeling guilty for neglecting her for as long as she had. Finally giving up in her search, she stopped in her tracks when her eyes landed on Damon. She watched as he walked on the other side of the street, oblivious to her presence. A sudden force inside her pushed her to her feet and before she knew what was happening, she was running after him. Standing a few feet away, Stefan followed Elena's gaze and watched sadly as she followed her brother.  
"Hey," a voice said from behind as he turned to see Bonnie standing beside him.  
"Hey," he said with a wry smile.  
"How are you?" Bonnie asked, crossing her arms at her chest.  
"Better," he replied. "You?"  
"I'm good too," she said before sighing. "How's everything with Elena?"  
"Not too good," he said honestly before motioning her retreating figure up ahead.  
As Bonnie watched Elena jogging down the sidewalk, she raised her gaze and noticed Damon being her intended target.  
"I'm sorry," she said, turning back to Stefan.  
"Don't be," he replied. "The only reason we aren't together anymore is because of me and what I did or almost did to her."  
"That doesn't mean you're not hurting," Bonnie reminded him.  
"I love her," he said simply. "I always will, nothing will change that. But I know that who she needs right now isn't me."  
"I love her," he said simply. "I always will, nothing will change that. But I know that who she needs right now isn't me."  
"Damon?" Bonnie asked quietly as he nodded.  
"They may both deny it, but anyone with a pair of eyes can see."  
"Stefan, I'm sorry," Bonnie said, reaching out to touch his arm in comfort.  
"Thank you," he said as his smile widened.  
On the other side of the street, Elena watched as Damon turned into an empty alleyway and quickly chased after him.

"Damon!" she exclaimed, her voice causing him to stop and turn around.

"What?" he asked, the annoyance in his voice evident.

"What's going on? I saw you and Stefan arguing."

"It was a love spat, nothing to it," he said and turned to leave again when she grabbed his arm and spun him around.

"Why'd you leave this morning?"

"What are you talking about?" he asked with a frown.

"We were asleep and I woke up and you were gone," she exclaimed. "Why'd you leave?"

"Because I was tired of babysitting you."

"No, that's not it," she said, her mind already made. "You're scared."

"Scared of what? You?" he said with a laugh.

"You're scared of how you feel about me," she said, holding her nerves inside long enough to speak her mind.

"And they say I'm arrogant," he said, closing the distance between them and backing her to the wall. "Not everyone's infatuated with you, Princess."

"You're not the only one who's scared," she continued as he placed his palms on either side of her head, flat against the wall.

"And what are you afraid of?" he asked, his dark eyes penetrating through hers.

"You," she whispered, her voice beginning to shiver.

As she continued to stare into his eyes, she saw his gaze soften by her words. Before he was able to pull away, she leaned forward and captured his lips with hers. He hesitated at first but once she trailed her hands up his arms and buried her fingers in his hair, he pushed his body against hers and deepened the kiss. Elena released a soft groan as his hands moved to her waist and pulled her even closer against him. Just as she tightened her grip around his neck, he pulled away and held her at arm's length. She watched him in silence, her heart thundering in her chest, as he released one of her arms and ran his free hand through his hair.

"Stop…doing…_that_," he exclaimed as she closed the distance between them again.

"Tell me you didn't feel it," she began, taking his hand and placing it over her chest so he could feel her heartbeat.

He looked away from her and shook his head.

"You're confused," he began as she intertwined her fingers with his over her heart, her move causing him to focus on their joined hands.

"You can lie to me all you want," she began. "But your eyes give you away."

"You're playing a very dangerous game, little girl," he exclaimed as their eyes locked. "I'm not who you think I am."

"I know who you are, Damon," she said confidently.

Releasing his hand from hers, he pinned her to the wall and held his face inches from her. "No you don't."

With that, he swiftly moved away and walked back towards the festivities as she  
pressed her back against the ally wall and released a deep breath. Once her nerves had calmed and her rapid heartbeat had steadied, she pushed her body away from the brick wall and turned to follow him towards the crowd. What stood in her path made her freeze dead in her tracks and gasp in fear.

"Hello, Elena," Isobel said with a smile.


	19. Chapter 18

**So sorry for the late update again…what can I say? Life's busy lol**

**Isobel explains some things in this chapter about the moonstone that I think is similar to the reasoning given on the show so spoiler alert.**

**Also, could someone tell me what happens when vampires are staked on the show? My mind is playing tricks on me and I've sort of forgotten lol…do the bodies turn to ash or does nothing happen? **

**Thanks in advance and I hope you enjoy this chapter….not much left before the end :)**

**Chapter Eighteen**

Elena stared at the person standing a few feet away: the vampire who posed a threat to her; the woman who had given birth to her. They stared at one another for a long time before Isobel smiled.

"You're so grown up," she commented. "We look alike."

"I'm nothing like you!" Elena snapped.

Just as Isobel took a step towards her daughter, Bonnie jogged towards her friend from the crowd.

"Hey Elena, have you seen Caroline?" she asked, oblivious to the vampire's presence.

Seeing the startled look on her friend's face, she looked up and noticed Isobel for the first time.

"Is that…?" she began as Elena gripped her hand.

"Go get Stefan and Damon," she whispered as Bonnie immediately took off.

"I just want to talk, Elena," the vampire assured. "And we can pick a public spot to make you feel better. That picnic bench over there should suffice."

Not waiting for a response, she turned and began crossing the street as Elena watched her go. A part of her wanted to stay back until the brothers appeared but a more dominant part pushed her to follow. Taking a seat on one side, Isobel watched closely as Elena slowly made her way towards the bench and sat down.

"What do you want?" Elena managed to ask after a moment's silence.

"Like I said, just to talk," Isobel repeated.

"You won't say a word without us," Stefan's voice cut through the tension in the air.

Turning around, Elena watched as each brother sat on her either side. Feeling her trepidation slowly slip away, Elena turned back towards her mother.

"Very well," Isobel exclaimed, focusing on her daughter. "All these years, worrying about your safety and you've had the Salvatore brothers by your side. You couldn't be any safer, you know."

"You expect me to believe that you actually give a damn about me?" Elena spat out.

Isobel stared at her daughter for a moment as a look of pain flashed through her eyes. The moment quickly disappeared and she faced Damon.

"Katherine will be here soon."

"The little bitch is finally coming out to play?" he asked with a grin.

"She wants the compass, Damon," Isobel continued. "Do you still have it?"

"It's safe," Stefan replied for his brother. "And Katherine won't get her hands on it."

Laughing slightly, Isobel leaned slightly back. "You really have no idea what you're getting yourselves into, do you?"

"Why don't you enlighten us," Damon said dryly.

"Do you know what power the compass possesses?"

"It can find and locate vampires," Stefan replied.

"Yes, but there's a catch. It can't find _all_ vampires," she explained. "Have you ever heard of the Original Family?"

"Our ancestors and the oldest vampires still alive, so to speak," Damon exclaimed.

"That's correct and the oldest of them is Klaus," Isobel continued. "You may not have heard of him. He's well before your time."

"How exactly do you know? I remember being the one who turned you, if I'm not mistaken," Damon said with a frown as Elena shifted in her seat, still uncomfortable with that bit of news.

"It took me years to get into Katherine's inner circle," Isobel replied with a tight smile. "Klaus is the most powerful vampire on Earth. He is over twelve hundred years old and no person, living or dead, can match his strength. His closest friend and ally, Elijah, comes close."

"What does this have to do with the compass?" Damon asked in confusion.

"Relax, Damon. You know you love the foreplay," Isobel said with a sinful smile.

Elena glanced between the two for a moment before looking down at her lap, her discomfort from Isobel's words not going unnoticed by Stefan.

"A few years ago, the alliance between Klaus and Elijah swiftly came to an end. Elijah believes that Klaus has gone too soft and is no longer looking our for his people's best interests. He wants to remove Klaus from his throne, so to speak."

"And take his place?" Elena asked.

"Yes," Isobel said with a nod. "But Klaus has disappeared and no one can find him."

"So Katherine is getting the compass for Elijah so they can find Klaus?" Stefan asked.

"Yes and no," Isobel said with a laugh. "Over the years, Katherine has made many enemies and unfortunately or her, this time she made the wrong one."

"Elijah," Elena repeated the name.

"But considering how manipulative she is, Katherine was able to strike a deal with Elijah. She'll find the compass for him and what it leads to, and he in turn will spare her."

"So she's going to find Klaus by herself?" Stefan asked.

"If only it was that simple," Isobel said with melodic laugh. "When you're as old as Klaus and Elijah, you can withstand certain magical powers like the compass. But vampires aren't the only thing the compass leads to."

"Get to the point, Isobel," Damon said with a sneer.

"A moonstone," she replied. "One created thousands of years ago. When a witch or warlock removes the curse placed on the moonstone all those years ago, one of two things can happen. If the witch removes the curse on behalf of a vampire, then that vampire has a choice of either allowing all others to become day-walkers or whomever he chooses so receive the gift. No more need for that fancy ring you're wearing if he allows you to share the spoils."

"So Elijah wants the compass so he can find the moonstone and remove the night curse placed on all vampires? All of this so he can find Klaus?" Stefan asked.

"Only a few of those rings were created. You own two and the third I believe you gave to my ex-husband," Isobel began. "Being an original vampire, Klaus doesn't need a ring to walk in the daylight. His powers withstand that curse…but Elijah's doesn't."

Turning, she locked eyes with Damon and they shared a look of understanding that the others easily noticed.

"What is it?" Elena asked. "What else does Elijah want the moonstone for?"

"To find Klaus," Stefan replied. "The moonstone can make him powerful so he can find Klaus."

"She said if the curse is lifted from the moonstone, one of _two_ things can happen," Damon reminded.

"I don't understand," Elena said with a frown, turning to face him. "Who else would want to lift the curse?"

"Other than a stake to the heart, silver bullets and direct sunlight, what's the one thing that can kill a vampire?" Isobel asked.

When no one spoke, she turned to the younger Salvatore brother.

"Really, Stefan, haven't you read up on your own history?"

"A werewolf bite," Damon cut in as everyone faced him.

"Werewolves?" Elena asked skeptically.

"Don't act so surprised. If we exist, so do they," Damon said, staring out into the darkness.

"If a witch removes the curse on behalf of a werewolf, things get a bit tricky for the rest of us," Isobel explained. "Vampires and werewolves have been at war for thousands of years. Just because you haven't seen them doesn't mean they don't exist. By removing the curse of the moonstone, werewolves will be able to turn their transformations on and off as they please. Just like we are forced to exist during the night, their transformations can only occur during a full moon. Imagine if they could turn no matter what day or hour it was? It would make killing vampires a whole lot easier…and we're their primary enemy."

"Oh my God," Elena said, trying to process everything she had just heard.

"Katherine is searching for the compass in order to find the moonstone. She wishes to give the moonstone to Elijah and in doing so, he will spare her life," Isobel finished. "And Elijah wants the moonstone in order to remove the curse placed upon all vampires years ago. Once it's released, he will be powerful enough to find Klaus and kill him."

"And if the wolves find it…?" Elena began before facing her mother. "Do the werewolves know of its existence? The moonstone?"

'They know it exists but most believe it was lost throughout the years. No one save a few people know that you have the compass, Damon. So I'd guard it carefully if I were you," she said before rising to her feet. "Now you know what I know."

"Why did you tell us all of this?" Elena asked, watching her birth mother closely.

"The only way for the power within the moonstone to be released is by the blood of the one whose family constructed it," Isobel explained. "Katherine comes from a long line of witches and warlocks. But since she's technically dead, her doppelganger will do."

Both brothers glanced at one another before their eyes landed on Elena.

"So Katherine isn't only coming for the compass, is she?" Elena began, the fear in her voice evident. "She's coming for me."

"If someone close to you were to find the moonstone and remove the curse, they'd only use a few drops of your blood to do it," Isobel continued. "But those who see you as an enemy, they won't be as kind. If they find you and use you to remove the curse, they _will_ kill you."

Elena held eye contact with Isobel as the vampire smiled wryly.

"And then everything I would have done would be for nothing," she said, her words making Elena frown. "Be careful, Elena. You've been marked."

With that, she began to move away from the bench before she stopped and turned around.

"And Damon?" she said as he faced her. "I'd be careful if I were you."

"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked with a scoff.

"You've been marked too," she said with a sweet smile.

"Me? Why the hell am I marked?" he snapped, rising to his feet. "I'm not her doppelganger!"

"No, but you are what Katherine wants."

"What Katherine wants?" he said, the angry disbelief in his voice making Elena turn to face him. "She had 150 years where she could have had me! Now she finally decided to wake up?"

"Back then, you were chasing her all the time so she had gotten use to the attention you gave her," Isobel replied. "But then you rejected her."

"After she let me think she was dead and buried for a century and a half," Damon exclaimed, forgetting that his brother and Elena were standing beside him.

"Now she wants you back," Isobel said with a shrug. "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. Watch your back, Damon. She wants to have you almost as much as she wants to kill you."

A final smile formed on her lips as she turned around and disappeared down the dark road.

"Information overload," Stefan said, breaking the silence before touching Elena's arm. "Are you alright?"

"A homicidal vampire is out to get me so an even more dangerous vampire can kill me," Elena exclaimed. "No, not really."

Hugging herself tightly, she turned to face Damon who stood frozen in his spot, the rage he was feeling showing on his face.

"What are we going to do?" she asked quietly.

"You're going to go home and make sure you make your brother and Jenna understand that no one is to be invited into the house," Damon replied. "I'll go make sure the compass is safe."

"No, I'll do that," Stefan cut in. "You get Elena home safely."

Without waiting for a response, Stefan began jogging down the sidewalk as Damon released a heavy sigh and watched him go. Facing forward again, he was surprised when he saw Elena standing inches away from him.

"What are we going to do?" she asked again.

He stared at her for a long moment, the urge to make a wise-crack remark strong in his mind. Choosing against it, he gently grabbed her arm and began leading her down the sidewalk towards his car.

The ride towards her home was quiet as Elena kept her eyes focused on the darkness outside her window. Despite his better judgment, Damon couldn't help but glance her way every few seconds, a part of him wanting to reach out and comfort her. Instead, he used every ounce of strength he had to focus on the road, pushing such thoughts to the back of his mind. Eventually pulling up outside her house, he parked the car and switched off the ignition but neither could bring themselves to move.

"Do you want me to call Bonnie or Caroline for you?" he finally asked but she shook her head, trying her hardest to keep her tears hidden.

Glancing through her window, she noticed that her house door was wide open with light filtering out over the porch. With sudden fear creeping through her, she burst out the car and began sprinting towards the open door as Damon followed her seconds later.

"Jenna!" she exclaimed, running through the frame and stopping inside. "Jeremy!"

Moving in front of her, Damon carefully stared down the hallway leading away from the door as a frantic Elena gripped his shoulder from behind.

"Jenna! Jeremy!"

Within seconds, her brother appeared at the top of the stairs removing his headphones with a confused expression on his face.

"What's wrong?" he asked as a relieved Elena met him at the bottom step and pulled him into a tight hug.

"What is all the shouting?" Jenna asked, appearing in the hallway behind the kitchen.

Releasing her brother, Elena ran to her young aunt and embraced her tightly, her behavior confusing both her and Jeremy.

"Elena, you're scaring me," Jenna exclaimed as she peeled away from her niece. "Now what's going on?"

"Why was the door open?" she demanded.

"What are you talking about?" Jenna asked with a frown.

"When I got home, the door was wide open!" Elena snapped. "Don't you understand how dangerous it is? Don't you understand who could be waiting outside?"

"Elena…," Jenna tried, but the younger girl cut her off.

"Promise me that you won't invite anyone into the house unless it's one of us or someone you've known for a long time."

"This is crazy! What is going on?" Jenna exclaimed.

"Promise me!" Elena cut her off once more.

"Alright, I promise."

"You too, Jeremy. Promise me."

"I have no idea what the hell is going on here but I promise," he said, his sister's panicked form stopping him from making any sly remarks.

"And if you ever see me standing outside the door, I want you to ask me something," Elena continued, staring between her aunt and brother. "Ask me where I was when I slipped and sprained my ankle when I was ten years old. The answer's in Florida at Disney World."

"Elena, you're scaring me," Jenna began. "Why do I have to ask you that?"

"Just do it!" she snapped. "Please, just do it for me. Anytime you see me, ask me that question. If I don't tell you the correct answer, don't invite me inside and don't tell me to come in. Promise me!"

When both promised her again, she turned and ran past her brother up the stairs, slamming the door shut behind her.

"Damon, what is going on? What happened to her tonight?" Jenna demanded.

"Just do as she asked," he replied before slowly walking up the stairs, leaving the two confused people behind.

Opening the door, he stepped inside and shut it behind him once more. Elena was standing at her window, hugging herself tightly as tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Elena," he said, moving towards her.

As if on cue, she turned around and threw herself into his arms, clinging onto his body for support. Surprised by her reaction, he stood frozen for a few seconds before eventually wrapping his arms around her. They stayed in that position for several minutes, neither wanting to say a word as her tears ran their course and finally dried out. Moving back, she gazed into his dark eyes before leaning in and pressing her lips against his. He closed his eyes at the warmth of her mouth for a few seconds before pulling away and distancing himself from her.

"Why do you always pull away?" she asked, hurt by his rejection.

"Look, a lot happened tonight. You're upset and I'm here," he began.

"That's not why I kissed you!" she exclaimed. "I kissed you because I wanted to. Because I've wanted to for so long."

"Elena…," he began, moving another couple steps back.

"It's because of _her_, isn't it?" she asked, his words making him frown.

"Who?"

"Katherine," she said, tears returning to her eyes. "You don't want me because deep down, you still want _her_."

"Do you even hear yourself right now?"

"I heard you tonight, Damon. You told Isobel that Katherine could have had you whenever she wanted all these years if only she came back."

"Yeah but she didn't," he pointed out.

"You loved her for a century and a half. That doesn't just go away because your ego is wounded," she replied.

"It's my ego being wounded that made me open my eyes. I finally saw her for what she is and it'll be a cold day in hell when I want that crazy bitch back," he exclaimed. "She only wants me now because she can't have me. It's just a game to her. Everything's a game."

"Then why do you keep pulling away from me?" she asked. "You say it's not because you're still hung up over Katherine so why?"

He stared at her in silence for a long moment, refusing to answer her question.

"Damn it, Damon! Why!"

In an effort to silence her, he leaned in and pressed his lips against hers. She struggled for a couple seconds before her resolve melted away. Standing on her toes, she buried her fingers in his hair as he ran his hands down her back. All thoughts quickly left his mind as he reached down and lifted her off the ground. Curling her legs around his waist, Elena pulled back momentarily for air. Staring at one another heatedly, she leaned back in and captured his lips once more.

A part of him wanted to press her body against the mattress and make her forget all the pain she had been through; make himself forget why he could never have her. But a small voice in his head, a voice that still managed to think clearly, lowered her back down and distanced himself from her.

"What's wrong?" she asked, breathlessly.

"You've really got to stop doing that."

"I didn't hear you protesting," she pointed out as he faced her with his signature grin.

"You really do taste the way I thought you would," he said with a sleazy grin.

"What?" she asked, his words surprising her.

"Seriously, Elena. What did you expect? Romance and violins? I told you, that's not me," he exclaimed, the sudden change in his mood shocking her. "If you want to go for a roll in the sack, however, I'm pretty easy like that."

"Why are you talking like that?" she whispered.

"Like what?" he said innocently. "Look, the sooner you and I hit the sack, the quicker we'll be able to focus on the task at hand which is finding the moonstone before my ex-girlfriend can get her greedy little paws on them. You want to go at it now?"

Reaching back, she suddenly swung her hand forward and hit his cheek, the smack leaving a sting on his face. Clenching his teeth, he turned back towards her with a deadly look in his eyes.

"Don't ever do that again."

"You bastard," she snapped.

"I told you over and over, Elena. I'm not some knight in shining armor you want me to be. I am what I am and that's a vampire and a killer. Grow up and step out of your childhood girl fantasies."

With that, he turned around and walked out, shutting the door behind him with a slam. Elena stood frozen in her room, unable to comprehend what had happened moments before. Feeling her rage boil inside her, she lifted her stuffed animals off her bed and threw them against her closed door with a scream. Slowly lowering herself onto the ground, she leaned her back against the bed frame and buried her face in her hands.

Outside, Damon slowly looked up at her bedroom window as a pained expression covered his face. A part of him wanted to go back to her room and apologize for what he had just said. A part of him wanted to go back and tell her just how much she meant to him and how he deeply he felt for her. A part of him wanted to go back and kiss her and never stop. But his mind won the battle against the heart he didn't have and he climbed into his car before disappearing into the night.

Climbing out of her vehicle, Caroline glanced down her driveway to see that it was empty. Knowing her mother was still at work, she sighed quietly as she began making her way down the dark path towards her door. Fumbling with her keys, she gasped when she saw a figure standing beside her in the shadows.

"Oh my God, Elena!" she exclaimed, grabbing her fallen keys from the ground. "You scared me!"

"Sorry," her friend replied, stepping out of the shadows and smiling brightly.

"It's pretty late. What are you doing here?" Caroline asked.

"I have a message for Damon and Stefan," she began, running a single finger across the stones making up the door frame.

"Why can't you tell them yourself?" Caroline asked with a frown.

"Where's the fun in that?" she asked, her grin widening.

"Fine, what's the message?"

"Tell them…," she began as her face suddenly twisted and her vampire features emerged, the sudden change causing Caroline to gasp and stumble back. "…I'm back."

The last thing Caroline saw before blacking out was a set of bright, shiny fangs glimmering in the darkness around them.


End file.
